The Splitting
by funvince
Summary: Ranma's life has always been strange but after he was ripped in two, no one could forsee what would happen next!
1. Disaster Strikes!

funvince@hotmail.com  
http://www.angelfire.com/anime2/ranmanexus/ranmaweb/splits.html  
  
The characters of the Ranma 1/2 universe are the creation of  
the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi, who could track me down and  
sue the pants off me if she felt like it. Yada yada yada.   
  
Seriously, I always give credit where credit is due and I for   
one am glad she created Ranma 1/2. Otherwise, I'd have to   
write fanfiction on insert most hated anime. :)  
  
***********************************************  
  
THE SPLITTING: A RANMA 1/2 FANFICTION  
  
CHAPTER I: DISASTER STRIKES!  
  
By Vincent Nguyen  
  
***********************************************  
  
-Chapter 1-  
  
"Come back here, you old pervert! What did you do to   
me?" Ranma cried chasing after Happosai, the old pervert in   
question, through the dojo. There was fury in the young  
martial artist's voice as usual, but now it was also filled with   
panic and a little bit of fear.   
  
There was a burning intensity in his eyes as he pushed  
himself along by sheer force of will. His battle aura flickered  
weakly and he looked like he was dying. Gritting his teeth,  
Ranma said, "I am not letting you get away this time!"  
  
With all the concentration he could muster, a ball of ki  
shot from his hands and barely missed hitting Happosai, who  
at the moment was running for his life.   
  
Happosai wasn't afraid of Ranma (he knew he could beat  
him any day of the week), but he was terrified of what was   
happening to him. He had never seen anything like it. He   
couldn't help looking back every so often in horrified   
fascination. He had never expected this to happen when he   
used that magic potion. He vowed that he would never do   
business with that alley fellow again!  
  
*FLASHBACK  
  
Happosai had just come back from a very successful day   
of looking up women's skirts and stealing underwear from the   
young and innocent. Why, he was like that Robin Hood   
fellow! His memory told him that wasn't quite right but he   
ignored it.  
  
Skulking through an alley, he suddenly sensed something.   
He whirled around and saw a young man who looked to be in   
his mid-twenties, but he had the air of someone much older.   
He was wearing a suit and tie and appeared to be a normal   
businessman. Happosai wasn't fooled, however, because as   
he focused his eyes he could see enormous magical energy   
radiating from the fellow. Also, there was something very   
strange about his aura...  
  
"What do you want?" Happosai asked warily.  
  
The man smiled and in a cultured voice of a gentleman said,   
"Master Happosai, I have a proposition for you."  
  
Happosai didn't live this long by being stupid. "Unless   
it involves some pretty undies, I'm not interested."  
  
He turned to go when the man said, "I have a potion that   
will help you get your revenge on a certain Ranma Saotome."  
  
Happosai narrowed his eyes. It was true that the young   
whelp had recently angered him with his holier-than-thou-  
simply-because-I'm-not-a-pervert-like-you attitude, but he   
didn't trust how this opportunity came up so conveniently.   
He asked, "What exactly does this potion do?"  
  
The man leaned down to Happosai and whispered the   
answer. The diminutive lecher widened his eyes and he   
chortled in delight.  
  
"My, my. That will certainly do the trick," Happosai said   
looking over the bottle in his hand, but he was still   
suspicious. "What do you get of this, mister?"   
  
The mysterious stranger replied, "You would never believe   
me if I told you. Let's just say that Fate is involved and   
whatever hand she deals will have consequences you can't   
even imagine. I'm doing this because I have to and because I   
know good things can come out of chaos. In this case, I'm   
counting on it."  
  
The fellow seemed sincere enough about his intentions   
and Happosai decided to take pity on the plainly delusional   
fellow. "I guess that's all well and good so I'm going to be   
generous with you. Name your price."  
  
The gentleman smiled condescendingly at Happosai for a   
moment and with a bow, he vanished.  
  
Happosai was momentarily startled, but he quickly   
composed himself. He was the master of the Extra   
Dimensional Warp after all and shouldn't be surprised by   
such things. But he couldn't help feeling a sense of unease   
as he walked back to the Tendo Dojo.   
  
*END FLASHBACK  
  
It turned out he was right after all. The potion didn't   
work the way he had expected at all. Obviously, something   
had gone very wrong. Looking behind him, he knew he had   
definitely crossed the line this time.   
  
He had seen many things in his long life, but this one took   
the cake. Ranma was flickering rapidly from his normal state   
to his cursed form and back. In one step, he was a short,   
red-haired girl, the next he was a muscular, black-haired boy.   
The changes were increasing with frequency and it must   
have been painful since Ranma was visibly straining to keep   
going.   
  
"When I get my hands on you, I'm going to ground you   
into dust," Ranma growled with every other word rising into   
the soprano range. He threw a speed punch at Happosai, but  
just as it was going to connect, his arm shrank and Ranma   
stumbled onto the floor, changing back as he hit it. He didn't   
move and he didn't seem to be breathing.   
  
The old wizened lecher cautiously poked the body with his  
pipe and got worried when there was no response. How   
would it look if the heir to the Anything Goes School of   
Martial Arts was killed by his Master?  
  
In his musing, he almost failed to see a white light flare   
around Ranma's body. Happosai backed away instinctively   
knowing this was not something he'd want to be a part of.   
As much as he wanted to see what would happen next he wasn't   
going to wait around to take the blame. A vacation was   
definitely in order. He hadn't been to Havana in a while and   
there were many pretty ladies there he hadn't seen for some   
time.   
  
With his mind already focused on what type of swimwear   
was appropriate for the season in Cuba, Happosai bounded   
off into the night just as the white light around Ranma   
reached its maximum intensity.   
  
BOOM!!!  
  
  
Akane gave up trying to get back to sleep. She had   
ignored what had sounded like a typical runaround with   
Ranma and Happosai, but what she just heard gave her some   
concern. She placed P-chan to the side of her bed and left the   
room. She gasped as a figure stepped out in front of her.   
  
"Cologne! What are you doing here?"  
  
Cologne replied, "Please, child. Did you imagine that the   
explosion of such magical energy would have kept me away?   
But an old woman like myself knows better than to barge   
headlong into a potentially dangerous situation. I decided   
to wait for you and your family to wake up and barge in for   
me."  
  
Akane sighed knowing that she shouldn't have really   
expected a serious answer from the ancient matriarch. Then   
she gave Cologne a look. "I don't believe there's anything   
you couldn't handle by yourself."  
  
"An important life secret to remember is that there is   
always someone better, but the point is moot." Cologne   
pointed to the rest of Akane's family who had just showed up,   
rubbing sleep out of their eyes. They cautiously entered the   
dojo and were shocked by the sight that greeted them. And   
anything that could shock *this* family had to be very   
impressive.   
  
Lying side by side in defiance of all natural laws (which   
had no meaning in Nerima anyway) were the bodies of   
Ranma's male and female sides, who inexplicably were both   
dressed in Ranma's trademark Chinese red shirt and black   
pants.   
  
Akane was livid. "I can't believe that Happosai would   
split Ranma again after what happened last time!"  
  
Cologne inspected the bodies. "I don't think that was   
what he intended to do at all. For one thing, both bodies   
are solid. There are other signs but it seems to me that   
whatever he was trying to do went horribly wrong. I   
suspect I know what happened but I really should make   
sure first."  
  
She tapped a pressure point on both Ranmas' necks then   
stepped back. Both their eyes opened at the same time and   
in unison they groaned in pain. They sat up with a hand   
clutching their heads and then they looked at each other.   
In shock, they screamed, "Evil spirit!"  
  
"Who are you calling an evil spirit!" They simultaneously  
yelled as they fell into fighting stances. The Ranmas   
whipped some spirit wards seemingly out of nowhere and fell   
to attack in earnest, perfectly attacking and counterattacking   
the other's moves with the greatest of ease. Genma made a   
move to stop them, but Cologne waved him back.   
  
*AT THIS POINT THE FEMALE RANMA WILL BE REFERRED TO AS RANMA(C)*  
  
Ranma(C) tried to use her greater speed and agility to her   
advantage, but it didn't seem to work as her opponent   
seemed to be able to anticipate what she did before she did it.   
With some pride, she noticed she could do the same, but she   
did wonder why.   
  
Unfortunately, neither of the two could make the   
connection and the fight went on for at least an hour. The   
dojo would have been destroyed long before by body impacts   
and ki blasts if not for the fact that Nabiki had rendered her   
help in arranging for the dojo to be made virtually impervious.   
For a modest fee, of course.   
  
Anyway, while the structure was still standing it had taken   
quite a beating. Finally, Cologne stepped in and easily   
stopped the fight. Or maybe not so easily. If one Ranma was   
a handful, then two must have been a nightmare to subdue.   
  
When the Ranmas came to again, they saw everyone   
sitting at various points around the room staring at them.   
There was an uncomfortable silence as everyone tried to   
assimilate what their senses were telling them. Nabiki turned   
to Cologne and asked, "Okay, they're awake. Mind telling us   
what happened?"  
  
Cologne raised an eyebrow. "I thought it was obvious.   
Happosai somehow made a separation of young Ranma's two   
forms."  
  
Kasumi, who had been doing some ironing in the corner,   
raised her head and asked, "How do you know that grandfather   
Happosai didn't do the same thing that was done to Ranma before   
with the incense? Or that she isn't another clone like with the   
magic mirror incident?"  
  
"That is a good question, Kasumi. You see, what   
happened last time was that Ranma's Jusenkyo curse was   
withdrawn from his body. His female half may have been the   
manifestation of his worst qualities, but since Ranma's soul   
was still in his body, that half was immediately entered by an   
evil spirit that had been attracted by the magic incense that   
was used. The second possibility is unlikely as that involved   
the spirit of a dead woman using Ranma-chan's reflection as a   
template for a body(1)."  
  
"What has happened in this case is not either of those   
possibilities. Granted, I have only heard of these events   
secondhand but when I first saw their auras and the lack of   
Jusenkyo's influence in either, I felt confident in ruling   
out them out. But I had to be sure. After watching the way   
they fought, the tactics and strategies they used and how they   
used them, I can say with almost absolute certainly that not only   
has my son-in-law's two forms been split in two but his soul   
has too."  
  
"That's impossible!" Genma growled. As if to prove this,   
he proceeded to ask questions to both Ranmas, trying to   
catch them in error in some way. The Tendos joined in and   
ten embarrassing minutes later, he and everyone else were   
reasonably sure of Cologne's claim.   
  
Akane said, "Cologne, you said something about   
Happosai not intending to do this."  
  
"I doubt he did. This appears to be a case of incompatible   
magics. If I had to guess, I'd say Happy tried to permanently   
change Ranma into a girl and it backfired."  
  
Ranma looked like he was going to explode in anger, but   
he choked it down and in a calm yet still menacing voice, he   
asked, "Why didn't the old freak's plan work? When Herb   
trapped me as a girl with the Chiisuiton, that worked fine."  
  
Cologne hit him over the head with her staff and said in   
exasperation, "Weren't you listening? The Chiisuiton was   
just a variation on the magic of Jusenkyo's waters and   
therefore is compatible. As long as the magic applied to you  
is water based or doesn't directly affect your curse, it will   
work on you. This spell appears to be neither and therein lies   
the problem.   
  
"This spell was specifically built to turn men into women.   
Not lock them but change them. But the fundamental base of   
your curse is that it is reversible in some way. The spell most   
likely didn't meet any of the established parameters that   
Jusenkyo magic needed in order to accept it. But apparently, the   
spell was strong enough that it couldn't simply be rejected. So in   
an attempt to reconcile two directives you were torn in two, which   
satisfies both curses."  
  
"I'm glad they're happy," Ranma muttered while Ranma(C)   
just stared at her hands. She hadn't said or done anything   
since the conversation had began and that was so unlike her   
that Nabiki actually gave her a concerned look before saying,   
"You make all this magic sound like a computer program. Got   
a way to troubleshoot?"  
  
"Perhaps. I know some people well versed in this sort of   
thing. Incompatibilities happen quite often and I'm certain   
these two could possibly be merged back together. But I   
wouldn't advise it."  
  
Before anyone could ask about that last statement,   
Ranma spoke up, "Hey! Who said I wanted to be cursed   
again? I just got cured and I'm not giving that up! Besides,   
how do we know she isn't some demon in disguise or   
something?"  
  
Ranma(C)'s eyes blazed. "I can't believe you! You think   
I'm happy about this? I might be stuck like this for the rest of   
my life because you're too damn selfish to help me."  
  
Ranma growled then threw up his hands in frustration.   
"Fine! Have it your way! I'm used to being cursed by now.   
Might as well keep it going."  
  
Cologne shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid I can't allow   
it. In situations where the merging of two living creatures is   
needed, the willing consent of both is required because in   
every case I have ever heard of the procedure is too   
dangerous to be done on a whim."  
  
"Dangerous?" Everyone echoed. Cologne sighed then   
said, "One or both of you could wind up dead. The best case  
would be that you'd both be vegetables. There is no way   
any merging procedure would have a chance of succeeding if   
both of you don't honestly want to do this."  
  
Ranma crossed his arms. "Well, that's it. I don't see how I   
could honestly want to do this. I guess it's too bad."  
  
Akane opened her mouth to yell at Ranma, but she was   
interrupted by Ryouga's voice, "Ranma, you insensitive jerk!   
How can you just stand there and ignore what's happening? I   
demand you make things right!"  
  
"You're just jealous, P-chan," Ranma taunted, trying not to  
show how surprised he was that his rival had suddenly   
appeared out of nowhere.  
  
"Who are you calling P-chan?" Ryouga yelled. He made a   
move to rush Ranma when Cologne deftly tripped him with   
her staff. She calmly said, "Your hot-headed friend has a   
point. Have you really considered the consequences of your   
actions? Your hatred toward your curse may have blinded   
you. Many so-called curses have hidden benefits to them if   
one looks hard enough."  
  
Ranma snorted and Cologne glared at him before   
continuing, "Ryouga's curse is a prime example of what I   
speak of." Ryouga gave her a look of pure panic.   
  
"As you all know, I'm talking about Ryouga's ability to   
constantly get lost." There were massive facefaults around   
the room from everyone except Akane and a few others.   
  
Cologne gave the group an amused glance. "Of course it's   
a curse. There's no natural way for a person to get lost so   
easily but still have about an average level of intelligence.   
It also doesn't make sense for his entire family to be afflicted   
in the same way."  
  
Ryouga asked, "You mean I'm afflicted by magic? Can you   
help me?"  
  
Cologne replied, "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to   
talk to one of your parents. A curse that was placed on   
purpose can usually only be lifted by the one that cast it or   
by a descendant of that spell caster. A more powerful mage   
could manage to lift it, but that could have disastrous results  
if there are lingering booby traps hidden within the frame of   
the curse."  
  
Ranma looked impatient. "Okay, this would explain a   
whole lot about Ryouga, but I don't see the benefit in this."  
  
Cologne glared at him again. "Aside from the obvious   
things like developing independence and strength, a direct   
side effect of this curse is that Ryouga always manages to   
show up at the most convenient times. It can't be merely   
coincidence that he finds Nerima so often."  
  
Ryouga looked at her with amazement in his eyes while   
Ranma said, "That may be true and as I said, it explains a lot,   
but Ryouga had to go through a bunch of crap just for these   
so-called benefits. Look, you can't just change the way I feel   
with a few words. You don't understand what I've been through.   
All the logic and reason in the world can't change what I believe   
to be true. I still think my life will be a lot easier without the   
curse."  
  
"That remains to be seen."  
  
Ranma turned around to see his alter ego glowing with a   
battle aura. There was such sorrow and frustration in her eyes   
that Ranma actually considered taking a step back. Then   
determination filled his face as he rose a battle aura of his own.   
  
Cologne sighed. It was going to be a long night.   
  
  
The next day everyone slept in, worn out as they were by   
the events of the night before. Cologne had gone back to the   
Nekohanten when she saw there was nothing more to be   
learned, and Ryouga was probably lost in the dojo.   
  
When the Ranmas woke they immediately went back to   
fighting. Poor Ryouga got in their way trying to find the   
bathroom and was knocked into the stratosphere.  
  
The two Ranmas had managed to get each other into   
unbreakable chokeholds and were trying to suffocate the   
other. Ranma was stronger, but Ranma(C) was able to hang   
on by sheer force of will. Suddenly, Kasumi came in and said,   
"Ranma-kun? Ranma-chan? When you two are done   
sparring, please come to the living room. Doctor Tofu is   
waiting to see you."  
  
The two Ranmas released their deathgrips on each other   
and ran for the door before simultaneously freezing in   
mid-step. They slowly turned toward Kasumi and Ranma   
voiced the thought that was on both their minds. "Uh,   
Kasumi? Will you be there when Doctor Tofu treats us?"  
  
Kasumi looked at the fear on their faces and couldn't help   
but burst out giggling. "Oh my! Are you afraid the doctor   
will hurt you while I'm around?"  
  
"You know?!" the Ranmas chorused in surprise. Kasumi   
gave them an amused look. "There are many things people   
call me but blind is not one of them. Don't worry, I'll be in the   
kitchen making breakfast." With that said, she left, still   
giggling.  
  
The two martial artists looked at one another. Finally,   
Ranma said to his alter ego, "Do you get the feeling we   
missed something?"  
  
Ranma(C) shrugged and they walked into the house.   
Doctor Tofu looked startled to see them when they arrived,   
but he quickly recovered and motioned for them to come over.  
He gave both of them a thorough inspection and administered   
a series of tests for at least an hour when he finally sat back   
with a sigh. "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't   
have believed it."  
  
"What did you find out?" Soun prompted.  
  
"As far as I can tell they are two healthy, normal   
individuals. And yes, they are in fact quite human. Mentally   
and psychologically speaking, there is little doubt they are   
the same person. I don't have the tests for it but in my   
professional opinion, if they were to get DNA tests, it'd show   
that they were twins at least."  
  
He glanced over at his patients and sighed again. "But I'm   
afraid there's nothing I can do for them. I can tell that they're   
not completely separated and there is still some connection   
between their souls, but I have no idea what to do with that   
information."  
  
Ranma(C) asked in a strained voice, "There's nothing you   
can do?"  
  
Dr. Tofu shook his head. "I have to admit that I'm stumped.   
Cologne knows far more than I do and if she couldn't help you,   
I doubt I could."  
  
Ranma(C) scoffed, "Yeah, right! It's probably just some   
scheme of that old ghoul to get me, uh, *him*, to marry   
Shampoo!"  
  
Ranma, who had been idly lying around acting like he   
couldn't care less about what was going on, immediately sat   
up and said, "Like that would ever happen!"  
  
Everyone ignored him and Nabiki said, "I think Cologne   
was serious about what she said. While she'd do many  
things and I wouldn't put anything past her, she seemed   
genuinely worried.   
  
She paused. "It's bad enough to have one Ranma running   
around, but this would cause too many complications. It's   
one thing to upset the status quo, it's another to completely   
destroy it and it's possible that's what could happen. This   
split would more likely be more of a hindrance than a help to   
her plans."  
  
Tofu rubbed his eyes then pushed his glasses back on.   
"I'm inclined to agree. There is no proof that the Amazon   
matriarch is planning anything and even if she was, we don't   
know that and can't act like we do. False hope is worse than   
none at all in my experience."  
  
Ranma(C) balled up her hands. "I refuse to believe that   
there isn't a cure of some kind!"  
  
Tofu replied, "I didn't say there wasn't. And there is   
nothing wrong in keeping hope about that."  
  
Ranma spoke up, "As far as I'm concerned, a cure was   
found when I was freed of the curse."  
  
The doctor gave him an asking glance. "Aren't you the   
least bit concerned about the plight of your other half here?"  
  
Ranma hesitated then looked away, unable to meet Tofu's   
eyes. At that moment, Kasumi came in carrying a tray of   
breakfast. Tofu's glasses instantly fogged up and he   
stuttered, "Kasumi! What a surprise to see you here! Have   
you come to borrow another book?"  
  
"Doctor Tofu!"  
  
"You certainly look beautiful today. Oh my! Are you   
going to eat all that food by yourself? Well, breakfast is the   
most important meal of the day..."  
  
"DOCTOR TOFU!"  
  
The anger in Ranma(C)'s voice was enough to snap the   
good physician out of his love-struck daze. With an abashed   
look on his face, he said, "I'm sorry, Ranma. That was   
inexcusable. I'm a doctor and I should be able to pay   
attention to my patients. I don't know what gets into me   
sometimes..."  
  
Ranma(C) waved off his apology, but there was a sad look   
in her eyes. "That's okay, doc. It's nice to know some things   
don't change. I can't say that about too many things in my   
life."  
  
Tofu looked at Ranma(C) for a long time then he looked   
over at Kasumi. He said softly, "Sometimes, it takes change   
to make a person realize what they're missing."  
  
Clearing his throat, he stood up. "I'm sorry I couldn't be   
of any more help, but if I discover anything I will give you a   
call."  
  
After he left, the Saotomes and the Tendos began their   
breakfast. As they were eating (or in some cases, shoveling   
down food) Ranma(C) asked, "Hey, Pops, what are we going   
to tell Mom?"  
  
Genma stopped his assault on his food long enough to   
say, "I don't really know. Your mother went out of town last   
week and I don't know when she'll back. But that reminds me.   
Tendo and I have been discussing some aspects of your   
predicament."  
  
Soun cleared his throat. "Given the current situation, we're  
all going to have to make some adjustments. Both of you will  
still have to go to school, for example. Ranma-"   
  
Both Ranmas looked at him and Soun paused, confused.   
"Uh, Genma and I have decided to make you two brother and   
sister for the duration to avoid any awkward questions by   
anyone not used to such... strange occurrences."  
  
Soun suddenly looked uncomfortable and his eyes were   
downcast. "That means, Ranma... -chan, to avoid confusion   
you'll have to change your name. It'll only be temporary, of  
course-"  
  
"No," Ranma(C) said flatly.   
  
Genma said in what he thought was a soothing voice,   
"Now, this is only for the best. There is too much   
strangeness already associated with this dojo and-"   
  
"What part of no did you not understand, old man?"   
Ranma(C) interrupted glaring at him from across the table.  
  
Akane hit the table with her fist, angry for some reason   
she couldn't name. "Daddy and Mister Saotome are just   
trying to deal with the situation. Why are you being so   
stubborn?"  
  
"I'm sorry to be so much trouble. I suppose I should just   
sit back and let you take away my identity one bit at a time.   
Would that make things easier for all of you?" Ranma(C)   
asked coldly. With that, she stood up and left, leaving an   
awkward silence behind her.  
  
By dinnertime, things were back to normal for most of the   
family, but Akane sat quietly by herself, wondering where   
Ranma(C) was. She glanced over at Genma and Ranma who   
were fighting over food as if nothing was wrong. She was   
confused for she was happy for Ranma, but the image of a   
red-haired girl who looked like she needed a friend kept   
popping into her head.  
  
She left the table and went to the roof, knowing the   
person she was searching for had to be there. She gasped at   
what she saw. Ranma(C) was reading and it wasn't a manga!  
  
Ranma(C) whirled around and tried to hide the book in her   
hand, but Akane caught two words: Split Personalities.  
  
Akane asked, "What are you doing? I thought you hated   
studying."  
  
Even through her embarrassment, Ranma(C) gave her the   
smirk she had grown to know so well. "No, I hate school.   
There's a difference. Martial artists aren't stupid, Akane.   
You think a guy who can pick up new techniques so quickly   
couldn't use this ability in other ways? But school is boring   
and I learn things better at my own pace and when I'm   
interested in it."  
  
"How long have you been doing this?" Akane asked   
curiously.  
  
Ranma(C) shrugged. "After I came to live here and my life   
turned upside down, I started looking for ways to get cured,   
to deal with the changes I was going through. Eventually, I   
got interested in other things. I mean, with all the monsters,   
spirits, and weird magic going around, it's hard not to get   
curious."  
  
She sighed. "Life was much easier on the road. Aside   
from Pops always selling me for food, of course. Here, living   
in a house, I almost went crazy. Books keep my mind off   
things. Sometimes, I even manage to find things that are   
stranger than my life, if you can believe that.  
  
"I don't tell anybody 'cause I got an image to uphold,   
you know? Besides, Pops wouldn't understand and I'm not   
sure about Mom so usually, I'd wait for when I'm alone in   
the house, but right now, I really didn't feel like thinking   
about certain things."  
  
"What things?" Akane asked without thinking. Then she   
mentally kicked herself and opened her mouth to apologize.   
Her jaw froze when the girl in front of her gave her a sorrowful   
smile.  
  
Then she turned away from her. "It's not your problem,   
Akane. You don't have to worry about it."  
  
Akane wasn't going to leave it at that. "Please tell me,   
Ranma. You have done so much for me since you've   
arrived and it's time I returned the favor. I think you need   
someone to talk to and I don't want you to keep everything   
bottled up. I didn't come up here just for you to send me   
away. I'm not leaving until you talk to me."  
  
Softly, Ranma(C) said, "Before you showed up, I was   
trying to deal with the fact I might be stuck like this for the   
rest of my life. This is different from anything that has ever   
happened to me. Any other time, I always knew there was a   
slight chance I could change back to my original body. But   
this is my body now! And there really isn't anything I can do   
about it."  
  
Akane didn't want to hear anymore. She suddenly   
wondered why she was here. She wasn't any good at dealing   
with emotional problems. It made her feel helpless to be   
confronted with something she couldn't punch or kick to   
make go away and she didn't like the feeling. It reminded her   
too much of her mother's death.  
  
She finally realized that Ranma(C) hadn't said anything in   
that time, as if she had known what Akane was going   
through. She hardened her resolve to stay by her friend in   
her time of need.   
  
Ranma(C) gave a harsh laugh. "It's almost a relief, actually.   
I mean, my worst nightmare has come true and things can't   
get any worse, right?"  
  
Akane was shocked. "You're just going to give up?   
That's not like you."  
  
Ranma(C) gave her a long, suffering look. "No, it's not.   
And it's not like *him*. Akane, I've tried to get rid of my curse   
for as long as I can remember and in a sense I did. I've been  
thinking about this all night and I know exactly what he's   
feeling.   
  
"I know what it's like to be goggled at and made fun of   
simply because I can change gender with a cup of water. I   
know all the fear and anger I had to deal with over the year   
because of that curse.  
  
"Why should I bother trying to get *him* to change his   
mind when I know there's no point? He may not look it, but   
he's torn up with guilt."  
  
"But that's good! He deserves it! I can't believe he would   
be so mean to you about this whole thing," Akane said,   
wondering if she knew her fiance as well as she thought.  
  
Ranma(C) shook her head. "You still don't understand.   
Have you ever wondered why I hated my curse so much? It's   
wasn't just because I turn into a girl. I was so sick of feeling   
like the world was out to get me."   
  
She took a deep breath. "Do you know what it's like to   
wake up every morning and just know that no matter what you   
do something bad is going to happen? I'm so tired of being   
some cosmic joke for people to laugh and point at.   
  
"Every morning, I can lie in bed and predict that during the   
day I'll be splashed at least a dozen times, be attacked or   
glomped just as much, and if the day is really bad I'll end up   
malleted halfway across the city. I've tolerated all of the chaos,   
even enjoyed some of it, but this is the last straw."  
  
Ranma(C) looked down at the roof. "I thought the curse   
was the worst thing that could have happened to me and now   
this happens. Why do these things always happen to me?  
Why can't I learn martial arts and still have a normal life? Why  
can't I be... happy?"   
  
Ranma(C)'s face was unreadable. "But maybe I don't   
deserve to be. My life here isn't all bad. I enjoy the fights and   
I never get bored but the price is too high. Almost everyone  
I have ever known is miserable because of me and do you   
know how depressing that is?   
  
"If one of us has to be miserable, it might as well be me."   
She shifted her body toward the koi pond and didn't move.  
  
Akane's heart ached with sympathy and sorrow for the girl   
who was no longer a boy. On an irresistible impulse, she   
gave Ranma(C) a hug. The pig-tailed girl froze for a moment   
then relaxed; but, the air of depression around her didn't   
dissipate.  
  
That would take some time.  
  
=============================================  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
I may or may not have mentioned this before but this is my   
first fanfiction. Actually, I think I'm doing pretty well, but just   
in case, I'm going to wait for all of you to prove me horribly   
wrong. Please don't be *too* brutal! :)   
  
I wrote this because I have read many fanfics dealing with   
Ranma's male and female side being separated and I always   
thought something was missing. It seemed more like a   
gimmick than a real life-changing phenomenon that would   
affect everyone and not just Ranma.  
  
This is only the beginning of course. More will be   
revealed later. Be warned: this may be based mostly on the   
anime series as well as several manga events that would fit   
well into the show, but I will also put my own spin and   
interpretation on characters and plot devices so deal with it.   
But if it really disturbs you, you know where to email me.  
  
For example, I decided to make Ranma smarter. Not   
intelligent, mind you, but smarter. I've always felt that he  
was unfairly underestimated in that department. He'll still be   
the idiot that puts his foot in his mouth and know nothing   
about social interactions, but he'll be a three dimensional   
character instead of simply the stereotypical macho jerk   
people think he is. This will be done with other characters   
as things goes on.  
  
One more thing, are you curious about the guy who gave  
Happosai the potion that started the whole thing. Oh, he'll   
show up again and how important he's going to be to the plot  
will be determined later on.  
  
Well, hope I didn't bore you silly, though there's probably   
fat chance of that. You did know you could skip author's   
notes, didn't you?! Oh, well.  
  
See you next installation!   
  
  
(1) Added February 9, 2001  
  
I haven't read manga book 35 until after I had posted this   
chapter originally on my site but when I finishing reading it,   
I felt it was important that I at least make some reference to it.   
The gist is that the magic mirror talked about had a woman's spirit   
in it who periodically took someone's reflection (in this case   
Ranma's female side) to create a body that she would use to cause   
havoc until she could be contained again. (Note: Ranma still had his   
curse at the time as the mirror in no way affected him directly and   
only created a Ranma-chan copy.) You'd really have to read this  
yourself to understand. I suggest going to http://ranmascan.dhs.org  
to read the Ranma 1/2 Manga online. 


	2. Misery Loves Company

funvince@hotmail.com  
http://www.angelfire.com/anime2/ranmanexus/ranmaweb/splits.html  
  
The characters of the Ranma 1/2 universe are the creation of  
the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi, who could track me down and  
sue the pants off me if she felt like it. Yada yada yada.   
  
Seriously, I always give credit where credit is due and I for   
one am glad she created Ranma 1/2. Otherwise, I'd have to   
write fanfiction on insert most hated anime. :)  
  
***********************************************  
  
THE SPLITTING: A RANMA 1/2 FANFICTION  
  
CHAPTER II: MISERY LOVES COMPANY  
  
By Vincent Nguyen  
  
***********************************************  
  
-Chapter 2-  
  
Ranma(C) trudged to school in a depressed funk. It was a   
beautiful day, but she barely noticed it. She could only   
watch as the couple ahead of her ran happily along like   
nothing was wrong. And nothing would be wrong if she   
wasn't around, she thought bitterly.  
  
The girl was going through a crisis period so she could be   
forgiven her shocking exaggeration. For the couple ahead of  
her were not going happily to school. This was Ranma and  
Akane after all.  
  
"Ranma, you baka! Why do you always have to make us  
late for school?" Akane cried in outrage as she tried to put on   
an extra burst of speed.  
  
"Have you ever *once* considered the idea that it's usually  
not my fault? It's not like I ask Shampoo to come by and   
demolish our house on a weekly basis!"  
  
"Ha! I know you like it when she..." Akane's voice trailed   
off as they ran out of hearing range.  
  
For this, Ranma(C) was grateful. How the heck was she   
supposed to sulk with all this infernal noise? But now there  
was peace and quiet.  
  
"Saotome, prepare to feel my wrath!"  
  
Guess she thought too soon. Ranma(C) quickly picked up   
her pace as she was curious about watching a fight instead   
of being in one for once.  
  
Kuno was swinging his bokken in his standard rapid fire  
strikes. The effect was rather impressive, but the moves were   
so obviously telegraphed that it was really a waste of power   
since Ranma had plenty of time, relatively speaking, to track   
the wooden sword and dodge out of the way.  
  
Ranma picked an opening and booted the self-proclaimed   
samurai in the head, knocking him down. But just as soon as   
he hit the ground he was back up again with even more fury   
in his eyes.  
  
Hmm. Kuno must have been in a very bad mood that   
morning since normally, he would take his daily beating and   
stay down until school started.   
  
It wasn't her business, though. At least, not anymore.   
That galled her even though it was ridiculous to feel cheated   
out of her usual spar (all right, beating on) with *Kuno*.   
Ranma(C) made a move to continue her way to school when   
Kuno spotted her.  
  
As Kuno dropped his bokken, frozen with shock, Ranma   
looked confused and waved his hand in front of Kuno's eyes.   
He asked, "Hey, Kuno! What's wrong? Didn't you have a   
grudge with me or something?"  
  
Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High,   
ignored the question as his attention was entirely focused on  
a sight he had always known somewhere deep within the grey   
matter of his brain was impossible. Oh sure, he had a dim  
memory of seeing two Osage no Onnas at the same time but that   
was of course, impossible(1). But he had never seen his goddess  
along side his hated rival before!  
  
He swiveled his head back and forth between Ranma and   
Ranma(C) and whispered in hopeful voice, "Pigtailed girl?"  
  
Ranma(C) felt quite uncomfortable being stared at by   
Kuno, who looked like he was about to break down in tears.  
  
"I knew it! I knew I wasn't crazy! My faith has been   
assured of at last! I am extremely sorry, my goddess, but I   
was even beginning to consider the abominable rumors   
circulating around the school about you and that wretched   
Saotome. I had almost lost hope, but you have come to   
comfort me in my sorrows. Come to me, my beloved!"  
  
In a flash, he had pulled Ranma(C) into a crushing hug.   
This, in itself, was not unusual. But unlike his glomps of   
lechery, this was a genuinely heartfelt expression of joy. This   
was why Ranma(C) hesitated for a moment, just a moment,   
before booting Kuno into LEO (Low Earth Orbit).  
  
There was a silence before Akane said softly, "I can't help,   
but feel kind of sorry for him."  
  
Ranma looked like he was about to agree, but then he   
scowled. "Ha! It's not our fault if he's too dense to accept   
the truth." With that, he firmly walked toward the school and   
Akane followed him.  
  
But Ranma(C) stayed where she was, staring up into the   
sky. It was true that Kuno was an idiot and a pervert who   
deserved what he got most of the time, but for some reason,   
she felt strangely guilty.  
  
  
Running into the school, the trio tried to avoid Principal   
Kuno and any other unstable types. They didn't entirely   
succeed as they immediately ran into Miss Hinako, who was   
in her child form that day. Even though she was only their   
English teacher she still took it upon herself to find any juvenile   
delinquents that wandered through the halls and suck the life   
force out of them.  
  
"Miss Tendo and Mr. Saotome. Why am I not surprised?"   
Miss Hinako was going to deliver a stern lecture to the two   
when she noticed the redheaded girl, standing behind the   
two, who looked so much like Ranma's girl side.   
  
She went over to the girl and said, "I don't believe you go   
here. What is your name?"  
  
"Ranma Saotome," the girl replied, glaring at her as if to   
challenge her to question her statement.   
  
Miss Hinako blinked then considered it. Strange things   
happened at Furinkan and in Nerima in general, she knew   
that, but surely, the girl couldn't be saying what she thought   
she was saying. She extended her ki sense and went rigid   
with shock.  
  
This girl and Ranma had the *exact* same ki. For that to   
happen, the two would have to have had the same memories   
and life experiences, not to mention the same life force   
which she knew was impossible  
  
Shaking herself out of her stupor, she noticed the   
delinquents trying to sneak off, but she couldn't let such a   
great discovery run off like that! She whipped out a small   
coin and yelled, "Happo Go Satsu!"  
  
Fortunately, they had managed to dodge the blast and get   
around to explaining Ranma(C)'s presence. The explanation   
given to the teachers was that she was Ranma's cousin who   
just happened to have the same name as him and looked exactly   
like his female half. She didn't really think they would buy   
it but at least they didn't object.  
  
The rest of the school day wasn't that much better for   
Ranma(C). She had to deal with guys who either kept hitting   
on her or asking if she was Ranma's sister, which she   
technically was.   
  
Besides that, Miss Hinako had convinced the science club to   
chase her around all day with gadgets and machines to try   
and analyze her. It was extremely annoying and when a   
group of them tried to hold her down so they could get a skin   
sample, she had to beat up the lot of them.  
  
It was an extreme relief when lunch finally came.   
But not for long.  
  
The two Ranmas and Akane were eating peacefully under   
a tree when Ukyou and Shampoo jumped out of the bushes   
holding up steaming bowls of food. They said at the same  
time, "Ranma! Eat this!"  
  
Ranma gave a nervous look at Akane before saying, "Um,   
that's all right. I mean, I already have plenty of food and I've   
had a big breakfast. I appreciate all the time you must have   
put into making that. It looks really good. Better than   
anything Akane's ever made..."  
  
He had been doing so well too, but it appeared that the   
master martial artist, who could learn effortlessly in days   
techniques that would have taken decades for normal people   
to even get in shape for much less do, still couldn't quite   
grasp the concept of keeping his big mouth shut.  
  
"RANMA!!!"  
  
Maybe it wasn't too late. He opened his mouth to   
apologize, but as usual his tongue outpaced his brain. "I   
didn't mean it like that! Will you listen to me for once, ya   
crazy tomboy!"  
  
A flaming blue aura sprang to life around Akane.  
  
NOW, it was too late.  
  
Of course, Ukyou and Shampoo couldn't just stand by and   
watch as Akane tried to beat the living daylights out of   
Ranma. They immediately jumped into the fray, which soon   
resembled a brawl. On second thought, it definitely was a   
brawl, no doubt about it.  
  
Ranma(C) watched the fighting silently and while she got   
a perverse enjoyment out of seeing her alter ego get pounded,   
she found she missed it in some twisted way. Shampoo and   
Ukyou hadn't even noticed her.   
  
Apparently, Cologne hadn't spread the word about her   
predicament and for that she was grateful. She didn't need   
every sight seer and pervert in town coming to gawk at her.   
She had enough problems with weirdos visiting her.  
  
Of course, it didn't matter since they would find out   
eventually. It was hard to hide things in Nerima. Especially   
if it involved anyone named Ranma Saotome.  
  
She sighed deeply and was about to go back to her lunch   
when her danger sense kicked in. Acting on instinct, she   
jumped to the side just as body stuck the earth, instantly   
forming a crater.  
  
She peered in curiously. "Ryouga?" It always amazed her   
when this happened. She was struck out of her musing when   
Ryouga launched himself at her.   
  
He yelled, "Ranma! You will pay for this!"   
  
Weaving through his blows, Ranma(C) suddenly got   
angry. She had always regarded herself as an easy going   
person most of the time, but she was fed up with being   
treated like some kind of freak show, chased around school,   
and now having to deal with this! She needed to vent some   
aggression and if Ryouga wanted a fight, she'd give him one.  
  
She knew it took a lot to hurt him so she didn't have to   
worry about holding back on him. At least not too much.  
  
"Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Ranma(C) yelled as she   
unleashed hundreds of punches on Ryouga in a matter of   
seconds.  
  
Ryouga stood unfazed. He smirked. "That's not going to   
work this time, Ranma! I've grown a lot stronger since the   
last time we fought."  
  
Ranma(C) was smiling. "I've grown stronger too, porky.   
I can keep up those punches all day and we'll just see how   
long you can endure them!"  
  
With that, the fight began in earnest. Ranma(C) tried to go   
on the offensive, but at the same time she tried to avoid   
Ryouga's blows. Her arch rival may have had inhuman   
endurance, but she didn't, especially in this form. Any   
punches she received from him always had to be ignored by   
sheer force of will.  
  
"What's the matter, P-chan?" she taunted. "I guessed   
you're still as slow as a snail and just as stupid."  
  
"Shut up, Ranma!" Ryouga screamed as he lunged toward   
her with his right index finger extended. "Bakusai Tenketsu!"  
  
Surprised, she barely had time to jump before the ground   
exploded directly beneath her and sharp pieces of shrapnel   
struck her body. As she flew through the air she suddenly   
thought of how infuriated the school gardeners would be   
when they found out about this.  
  
When she landed on her feet, she yelled, "That hurt, you   
know!"  
  
Ryouga yelled back, "That's the least you deserve for   
ruining my life! Die!"  
  
Something occurred to her as she and Ryouga began   
fighting again. She absently-mindedly went back to dodging   
as she stared at her arch rival, desperately trying to think.  
  
This was what Ryouga always said. In fact, she had pretty   
much memorized his ranting, but this time she couldn't just   
wave it off. This fight had happened dozens of times in  
various places and times before, but now there was an   
important difference.  
  
"What are you staring at?" Ryouga growled, frustrated   
that he couldn't land a blow on Ranma(C).   
  
She pointed behind him. "Shouldn't you be attacking him?"  
  
Ryouga cautiously turned around and saw Ranma being   
pounded on by Akane, Ukyou, and Shampoo. Ranma had   
managed to somehow anger all three girls. It must be a talent.  
  
The lost boy looked startled for a moment. "I'm sorry. I   
don't know what I was thinking. I forgot that you weren't   
really Ranma."  
  
Ryouga turned around in time to see an expression of rage  
flicker across the red-haired girl's face before it settled into a  
mask of indifference.  
  
Ranma(C) said coldly, "Obviously, I am no longer needed.   
I hope you have fun."  
  
She began to walk away, trying to stay in control. She   
didn't want to give Ryouga the satisfaction of seeing how his  
words had really hurt her. She had reminded Ryouga of the   
splitting to see how he would react and she guessed she   
found out.  
  
A hand grabbed her shoulder and Ranma(C) looked at   
Ryouga, who had an indecisive look on his face. Then all of a   
sudden, it hardened into a glare. "I'm not letting you get   
away that easy!"  
  
"What?!" Ranma(C) sputtered in shock.  
  
Ryouga jerked a thumb toward the other fighting   
teenagers. "That jerk's already being taken care of. But you   
still need to be taught a lesson, Ranma."  
  
He immediately picked her up and threw her toward a   
nearby tree. She rebounded off and dived back into the fight.  
  
Ranma(C) was smiling inwardly all the while and this time,   
when she beat up Ryouga it was gentler than usual. As a   
finishing move, she dropkicked him into the air then calculated   
where he would land. With one final glance at the squabbling  
martial artists, she bound out of sight.  
  
  
Ranma(C) and Ryouga sat under a tree overlooking a river.   
To Ranma(C), it seemed surreal to be doing something so  
ordinary that she half-expected a demon to suddenly pop up. She  
turned to Ryouga and asked a simple question. "Why?"  
  
Ryouga considered this, knowing Ranma(C) didn't want   
his pity and would turn away whatever he tried to offer after   
that. At last, he said, "Because I wouldn't wish this fate on   
anyone. Not even you."  
  
He stared into the water and said softly, "That could have   
been me. I could have been stuck as a pig and no one would   
have cared because for all extents and purposes, it'd look like   
'Ryouga' was cured. I've thought about spending the rest of   
my life as P-chan, but I always knew that the real me would   
just be a hot water bath away.  
  
"Last night, I had somehow managed to find my way to the   
dojo in time to hear Cologne's explanation. I was horrified   
that such a thing was possible. I also couldn't believe that   
Ranma was callous enough to actually betray himself like   
that."  
  
"I guess this is what it is like on your side of the line,"   
Ranma(C) said morosely. "If you're curious, I think it sucks."  
  
Ryouga shrugged. "I can't disagree. I know I say a lot of   
bad things about Ranma and most of them are true, but he   
isn't all terrible. That doesn't mean I don't still resent him for   
making a fool of me so many times or inflicting this curse on   
me, though. I'm just saying that I understand somewhat   
where he's coming from. But that's no excuse for his   
behavior.   
  
"Do you know what it's like to constantly be in fear for   
your life whenever some cook grabs hold of you simply   
because you look tasty? I'm not afraid of many things, but   
I'm terrified that I'll end up as an appetizer and nobody would  
ever know what happened to me."  
  
He looked Ranma(C) in the eyes and she could see the   
pain there. "You say you have a curse. At least you're still   
human. You can protest who you really are."  
  
"Too bad no one will listen," Ranma(C) replied bitterly.  
  
Ryouga shrugged. "I know it's not what you want to hear,   
but from where I'm sitting, you're better off than I am now."  
  
She had no reply to that.  
  
  
Ranma(C) idly watched as her father and her alter ego went  
through their daily morning spar. A few days before she had  
protested, but now she was too depressed to care.   
  
It hadn't been a good week. The others had found out   
about the separation. It was inevitable that one or all of   
Ranma's rivals or fiancees would come to try kill him or marry   
him.  
  
They were understandably shocked upon seeing   
Ranma(C). They treated her politely but with discomfort as if   
meeting a stranger. The introductions had been awkward, but  
Ranma seemed oblivious to it, which happened more often   
than Ranma(C) would have thought possible.  
  
Now, things had settled back into a routine and it was like  
everyone had forgotten about her. She had to admit she   
simply wasn't needed and wondered if anyone would miss   
her if she just vanished. She sighed.  
  
"Ranma?"   
  
She ignored it since she figured that no one would want to   
talk to the Curse.  
  
Then she felt someone lightly bop her on the head. She   
looked up and saw it was Akane. "You talking to me?"  
  
Akane rolled her eyes. "Yes, you baka. I got tired of   
watching you mope..."  
  
"I wasn't moping!" Ranma(C) yelled. Akane ignored this   
and said casually, "And I was going to ask you if you wanted   
to spar."   
  
Ranma(C) looked at her for a long time then shrugged in   
agreement. Akane was delighted to help a friend and maybe,   
for once, she would be taken seriously!  
  
Alas, this was not the case as Akane found out ten   
minutes later in the dojo.   
  
"Ranma! Stop jumping around and fight me!"  
  
In a blind rage, she began attacking harder and faster, but  
Ranma(C) just began dodging quicker. On a typical day,   
Akane would have just gave up after a while and go sulk until   
it was time for breakfast.  
  
But not today. Akane had put up with many things since  
Ranma arrived the past year and this was only a small part of   
it. She was tired of these games. She had gone to the trouble   
of trying to help this girl and she was just mocking her for her   
efforts. Even as a girl herself, Ranma(C) wouldn't lay a finger   
on her.  
  
Akane slumped her shoulders and clenched her fists.   
"Why won't you fight me? Don't you have any respect for   
me, you jerk?"  
  
"Aw, jeez. It's not that. You know I don't hit girls..."  
  
Akane cut her off. "That's not going to cut it this time.   
You've fought girls before and you'd do it again if you   
thought it was necessary. But not me! Why? All I'm asking   
for is an honest spar, not some life or death struggle! But the   
great *Ranma Saotome* won't fight me. Am I that beneath   
you, Ranma?"  
  
To her horror, she discovered she was crying. She turned   
to go when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Not in the mood   
to hear some wiseass remark she grabbed the arm, whirled   
Ranma(C)'s lithe body around, and ran out without bothering   
to see where her victim would land.  
  
Ranma(C) stared at Akane's retreating back as she flew   
toward the back wall that overlooked the koi pond. She could   
easily have twisted her body to rebound off the wall and land   
on her feet, but she allowed herself to slam into the   
unyielding concrete structure.  
  
Pain lanced throughout her body, but that wasn't enough   
to wipe out the memory of hurt and misery she saw in   
Akane's eyes. Ranma(C) had refrained from hitting Akane   
because it would have killed her to do so. She was Akane's   
protector, damn it!  
  
But she could see that she was hurting Akane even more   
by not treating her like the martial artist she was. Sure, she   
wasn't as good as many people in Nerima, but then again,   
who the hell was *teaching* her how to compete with any of   
them?  
  
Some things never change, Ranma(C) thought gloomily.   
The sun rose every day, people got older, Ryouga Hibiki got   
lost. And in any form, Ranma Saotome was an idiot.  
  
  
"I think you're being a bit harsh on yourself, sugar,"   
Ukyou said while tending to her grill. "More   
okonomiyaki?"  
  
Ranma(C) shook her head and sat back, relaxed. After  
the episode with Akane, she had ended up at Ucchan's,  
unloading her problems on her friend. She didn't usually do  
this as she didn't want to seem weak or unmanly, but it didn't  
seem to matter anymore. Not much did, nowadays.   
  
"You know, I don't think I'm the person you should be   
talking to," Ukyou said, breaking Ranma(C) out of her  
train of thought.   
  
"I guess not. Anyway, thanks for listening. What do I  
owe you?"  
  
Ukyou looked startled. "It's on the house, like it always   
is, Ranchan."  
  
Ranma(C) looked down and began twiddling her thumbs.  
"I mean, I like free food and everything, but I don't think it  
would be fair to have you try to feed me and the other   
Ranma. You'd probably go bankrupt or something."  
  
Ukyou giggled. "Don't worry about it, Ranma. I don't  
abandon my friends. I'll see you in school tomorrow, right?"  
  
"Maybe. I still don't see why *I* have to go, though."  
Ranma(C) turned to leave but stopped. "You know, Ucchan,   
it's funny. A few months ago you would never have told me   
to make up with Akane. I'm glad to see that you've changed."  
  
A crooked smile appeared on Ukyou's face. "Akane's my  
friend too. Besides, since the... wedding incident a few months   
back, I've been thinking that things are probably better the way   
they are."  
  
At this point, if it had been under normal circumstances,   
Ranma(C) would have left, but her worries had made her   
unusually perceptive and she got the impression that Ukyou's  
cheeriness was a little forced.  
  
"Is something wrong, Ucchan?" She asked concerned.  
  
Ukyou shook her head. "Nothing you need to worry   
about. I'll be fine."  
  
Again, Ranma(C) felt the ingrained instinct not to   
interfere in the emotional businesses of others. But the   
rooftop conversation she had with Akane a few days back  
came back. It suddenly didn't seem right to leave things like  
this.  
  
"Ukyou, you're my best friend. Friends help each other   
with their problems. I'm always telling you mine so it's only  
fair that you tell me yours. So give."   
  
As Ukyou hesitated, Ranma(C) added, "I'm not leaving  
until you tell me."  
  
The okonomiyaki chef was silent for a moment then she   
said softly, "You really love Akane, don't you?"  
  
Automatically, Ranma(C) yelled, "What?! Like I could  
ever love an uncute, sexless tomboy who's..."  
  
"Shut. Up. Ranma," Ukyou said, her voice colder than  
liquid nitrogen. Ranma(C) did as she was told. Ukyou   
began pacing back and forth, obviously agitated. "There you   
go again, shooting off your mouth without ever considering   
what effect your words might have on other people. Or   
should I say Ranma? Do you mind? It'll make things easier   
for me."   
  
In fact, Ranma(C) *did* mind, but she nodded, anyway.  
Ukyou continued, "Don't get me wrong. Ranma's a nice guy  
and any girl would be lucky to have him, but intentionally or  
not, he hurts people. And instead of doing something about   
it, he ignores it and hopes it'll go away. He's my friend and I   
lo- like him, but sometimes he can be so frustrating!"   
  
Ranma(C) wanted to ask a question, but before she could,  
Ukyou said, "I bet you're wondering why, if all that I've said  
is true, I'd want to marry the jerk who ruined my life."   
  
"No, I wasn't. And even if I was, I wouldn't say it like   
that!" Ranma(C) exclaimed.  
  
Ukyou was looking off to the side and wasn't really  
listening to Ranma(C) anymore. "It's strange, really. I've  
spent years training to get even with Ranma, to hurt him in  
order to make up for the betrayal and embarrassment I felt at  
being abandoned and left alone."   
  
She clenched her fist. "And what happens when we  
finally meet? He gives me one compliment and I fall for him!  
Stupid, huh? I never even considered that he may have been   
trying to trick me. I knew that Ranma was never any good at   
lying. Besides, it was the first time in years that *anyone*,   
even my own father, had been so nice to me."  
  
Tears were running down her face now. "When I became  
friends with Ranma again, it was like nothing had changed,  
but it had. He never came around unless he had a problem or  
he didn't want to eat Akane's cooking. He barely ever paid   
any attention to me, and he never knew how much I was hurting   
because I was in love with someone who only thought of me as   
a friend. As *one of the guys* even!"   
  
Ukyou wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and tried  
to smile. "It's partly my fault that I've never been clearer.   
Heaven only knows how dense Ranchan can be. But I'm just   
not the type to go chasing after him like some lovesick puppy.   
  
"I'm just tired of waiting. I only want him to finally make a   
choice. Whoever he chooses, I'll accept, but even with all the   
evidence before me, I still hope with all my heart that it'll be   
me. A girl's got to dream, you know?"  
  
She turned her back and said quietly, "I'm sorry, I don't   
know what got into me. I don't even know why I told you all  
that. Maybe for me it was a way to tell Ranma how I felt   
about him without actually telling him. I do have to say,   
though, it felt kind of nice to get that off my chest."  
  
She began walking toward the kitchen. Her voice was  
steady as she continued, "Thank you for listening. Could   
you please put up the sign on your way out?"   
  
Ranma(C) desperately wanted to say something, anything  
to comfort this girl, but she could only watch as her retreating   
back disappeared around the corner.  
  
Oh, Ucchan, Ranma(C) thought with a heavy heart.   
Are you really in love with an insensitive jerk like me or  
merely with the idea of it?  
  
It was ironic that she had came here to be comforted,  
only to wind up feeling even lower than when she entered,   
Ranma(C) reflected silently as she trudged out the door.  
  
  
It's tough finding out in one day that you're twice the idiot  
you thought you were. At least the day can't get any worse,  
Ranma(C) thought as she walked in a random direction. Of   
course the laws of chaos surrounding Nerima couldn't allow   
such a ridiculous statement go unchallenged.  
  
Ranma(C) suddenly caught a black rose that flew out of  
nowhere and groaned.  
  
"Ohohoho! Pig-tailed girl! Where is my Ranma-sama?"  
Kodachi the Black Rose demanded, appearing in her usual  
dramatic fashion and twirling her ribbon.  
  
Ranma(C) sat down on the curb of the sidewalk, too   
weary to fight. She said, "I think he's at the school. Why   
don't you go check there?"  
  
Kodachi was so unnerved by this uncharacteristic action  
that she actually sat down by her most hated rival. She asked,   
"Why are you telling me this? What trick do you have up   
your sleeve, you evil witch?"   
  
She felt a flicker of anger at the gymnast's insult, but it  
quickly died out. She simply wasn't in the mood to be caught   
up in the chaos that made up Nerima. Ranma(C) replied   
bitterly, "*Ranma* can take care of himself. I have my own   
problems to worry about."  
  
Kodachi sniffed disdainfully. "No doubt they involve   
plans to get my Ranma darling for yourself."  
  
Ranma(C) sighed in exasperation. "How many times do I  
got to tell ya that I don't want him in that way or any way for  
that matter?!"  
  
The Black Rose stood up and glared down at the redhead.  
"Then please tell me why you're trying to destroy our love,  
you insolent peasant! There is no possibility he will ever feel   
for you the way he feels for me so why don't you give up and  
find someone your own status to play with?"  
  
The heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts had  
had enough. How in the world had she put up with this  
nonsense for almost two years? The urge to lash out   
consumed her and for once, she didn't repress it. Where had   
being patient and tolerant ever gotten her with people like this?  
  
She straightened her shoulders and said angrily, "I am sick   
of people never listening to me or calling me a liar! Well,   
what I'm going to tell you is the absolute truth. I'm sorry if it   
hurts, but it's about time you grew up! I *can't* destroy the   
love between Ranma and you. Do you want to know why?   
Because it doesn't exist!   
  
"How can Ranma ever love someone like you? You   
kidnap him half the time and poison him the other half!   
You're a lying, cheating psycho whose only pleasure is   
beating up defenseless girls and making people miserable.   
What do you expect Ranma to see in you when even your   
own brother can't stand you!"  
  
Kodachi stood there with a frozen look of shock etched   
on her face. Finally, she raised a hand and slapped Ranma(C).  
The sound echoed around them as the slap seemed to repeat  
over and over.   
  
The Black Rose lowered her hand and glared at the  
girl in front of her. She said angrily, "How dare you speak   
to me like that? No one has ever spoken to me like that!  
Have you forgotten who you are talking to?"  
  
Ranma(C) ignored the forming bruise on her face and   
replied with her voice full of contempt, "I'm sorry that I'm   
not some spoiled rich brat like you, but tell me that I'm   
wrong. Or are you too afraid of the truth?"  
  
She got to her feet and glared the leotard-clad gymnast in  
the eyes, waiting for a response or an attack. But what   
Kodachi did was completely unexpected. She sank to her   
knees and broke down sobbing. This wasn't her usual   
melodramatic cries of pain, but the tears of a person who had   
just been genuinely hurt.  
  
Ranma(C) became frantic. She hadn't meant to make the   
girl cry, but in retrospect, she had been stupid in not   
expecting it after what she had just said. How was she  
supposed to know that Kodachi would be so sensitive?  
  
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I've had a really bad day and   
I was babbling..."  
  
Kodachi cried, "Is that what people really think of me? It   
is no wonder that my Ranma darling does not return my   
affections. He must think that I'm a monster!"   
  
Ranma(C) suddenly found herself in the awkward   
condition of having to comfort an enemy whose self-esteem   
she had shattered into pieces. But when she looked down,   
she didn't see an overbearing, delusional snob but a   
vulnerable, depressed girl who was crying her heart out.   
  
She knelt down by the Kuno girl and said not unkindly,  
"I'm sure he doesn't think of you as a monster. In fact, I know it.  
He may not like you very much, but he certainly doesn't hate  
you. He just gets fed up sometimes. He's really kind of afraid   
of you and wishes that you'd leave him alone. I mean, that is,   
to say-"  
  
Kodachi waved her hand, cutting Ranma(C) off. She then  
wiped her eyes and gave a dim smile. "Thank you for *trying*  
to cheer me up. What you said was crude, but nevertheless it  
was the truth. I do have quite the reputation, don't I? It's   
funny, really. I've tried so long to be known as the   
uncontrollable girl who was above everyone and didn't *need*   
anyone. Strength was all I needed to be respected, but...   
not to be liked."  
  
Kodachi turned her head away. "But how could you   
possibly understand?"  
  
"I understand far better than you can imagine," Ranma(C)  
whispered, remembering events from her childhood that were  
sooner best forgotten. "It's hard to be different."  
  
"I was not always the Black Rose, you know," Kodachi  
whispered, her eyes glazing over in memory. "I used to be a  
better person, but it's so easy to give in, to become what   
everyone expects you to be. I even enjoyed it for awhile..."   
  
As she trailed off, Ranma(C) looked at her, really *looked*  
at her. For the first time that she could remember, she   
regarded Kodachi Kuno as a person. Not as an enemy or   
some crazed financee, but as someone who had been hurt  
badly a long time ago and had had no one to turn to for help.  
  
Ranma(C) said sincerely, "For what it's worth, Ranma may  
dislike the Black Rose, but I think it's possible, just possible,   
that he could actually respect *Kodachi*."  
  
Abruptly, Kodachi stood up and turned away. "As we are   
enemies, I should have no reason to listen to anything you   
say. Yet, I somehow find that I am grateful to you, strange  
as that may sound. I don't know what ulterior motive or reason   
you've had for talking to me and I'm sure that I will regret this   
later, but... thank you."   
  
She began walking away then stopped. "What you said a  
moment ago about Ranma and me." She paused. "That was   
very kind of you say, but we both know that it's too late."  
  
Ranma(C) opened her mouth to protest, but she was cut  
off by a thick storm of black rose petals that immediately  
buried her.   
  
Jumping out of the pile, coughing, she opened her eyes  
and saw that Kodachi was gone.  
  
  
She didn't know how long she had been walking and she   
didn't care. All she knew was that she definitely couldn't go  
home at the moment. If the Tendo household even qualified  
as her home anymore. She didn't want to be reminded that   
she was merely a double whose entire life had been turned   
upside down or in the worst case, never really existed.   
  
Besides, this would give Akane more time to calm down.  
  
Oh, that's the real reason you're still out here, a snide  
voice that certainly did *not* belong to him suddenly said in   
his head. Ukyou was right. You do run away from your   
problems and it doesn't bother you in the slightest, does it?  
  
Ranma(C) whirled around, but there was nothing there.   
With the kind of life she'd led, she certainly wasn't going to  
dismiss it as imagination.  
  
She scanned the area, peering into the damp, foggy street   
for any signs of life then yelled, "I know you're out there! I've   
been the victim of enough magic to know when someone's   
messing with my mind. Now come out!"   
  
She waited a few minutes and nothing happened. She   
continued walking, wary of everything around her. When one  
knew a master of disguise (an incredibly gifted one despite his  
taste in clothing), one tended to get paranoid over ordinary  
looking objects, which might turn out to not be so ordinary.  
  
It's bad enough that your life was ruined, but you have to  
go around making others miserable, too? The voice paused.  
I just remembered. You've been messing up lives since you  
were born. Quite an accomplishment for one so young.  
  
"Shut up!" Ranma(C) cried, feeling an uncharacteristic   
rage build up within her. What would this *thing* know?   
How dare it judge her when no one could understand what   
her life was like?  
  
Perhaps that is an exaggeration. But it's not far from the  
truth. It was, however, not your fault. Like most things, your  
actions were out of fear.   
  
"I'm not afraid of anything!" Ranma(C) yelled into the   
rapidly darkening haze. Except for c-cats, but that was the  
old man's fault and this maniac certainly doesn't need to know  
that.  
  
Thinking about the Nekoken training, my boy? Or should  
I say girl? Whatever the case may be, I am talking about fears  
much more common and basic to the human psyche. Despite  
your superhuman abilities, your emotional state is just as   
chaotic as the rest of your species.  
  
Too late, Ranma(C) noticed that the fog had now   
completely surrounded her and was currently pressing in on   
her body. She struggled vainly to get out and continued trying  
even as her strength left her and her vision started to go black.  
  
You never give up, do you? An admirable trait. One that  
you will probably need where you're going.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Ranma(C) gasped as her  
consciousness began to flicker.  
  
It is necessary, the voice said with what sounded like a   
tinge of regret. You are a unique individual, Ranma Saotome.  
You have the power within you to drastically change the world  
for better or worse.   
  
This ability requires maturity and responsibility. These   
qualities usually develop over time, but time is something we   
are rapidly running out of. That is really all I can say at the   
moment. I'm truly sorry.  
  
**FADE TO BLACK**  
  
=============================================  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Have I captured your interest? I certainly hope so or else   
this has been a complete waste of my time! Just kidding. This   
chapter has been written to show that there have been changes   
in Nerima over the past year and a half or so to people besides   
Ranma. This is necessary for my plans for the future, which   
you might get to see someday if you're lucky. :)   
  
I've noticed that people in Ranma 1/2 tend to have a split   
personality. There's the stereotypical, superficial outer layer   
that everyone sees, but there's also the deeper, more human   
layer where they act like ordinary people. Needless to say,   
it's not shown often, but enough to prove its existence.  
  
This is the part I am interested in. Nobody can be *all* bad.  
At least, according to the philosophy behind most Japanese  
manga and anime where demons have some good in them and   
angels aren't always saints!  
  
If you think it was a bit out of character for these people to   
be acting this way, remember this: Everyone has been stressed   
out and on edge ever since the wedding incident. It's only   
natural that they would be thinking about the direction of their   
lives and if they really want to keep going on that way.  
  
Now, the stuff at the end might confuse you if you have  
forgotten that there is more going on behind the scenes than  
Ranma Saotome being split in two. There is plenty and   
hopefully, it won't take me forever to get it out to you.  
  
Well, hope that this cliffhanger holds you until Chapter 3  
comes out! See you there!  
  
  
(1) In Volume 35 of the manga, in the episode concerning the  
Ranma-chan clone (See footnote of Chapter 1 for more details),  
there was a part where a flood ran through Nerima carrying  
both the real Ranma (female at the point obviously) and the  
copy. Kuno somehow popped out of the water and tried to grasp  
both of them, which got the typical response for such an action.   
Considering his numerous head injuries, old and new, his  
choice not to use brain cells that he *does* have and to hide   
from the real world instead, his inability to differentiate   
between reality and imagination at the oddest moments, and the   
very odd (Even for Nerima)circumstances at the time, he probably   
forgot the whole thing. That just seems Kuno-esque somehow. 


	3. Revelations

funvince@hotmail.com  
http://www.angelfire.com/anime2/ranmanexus/ranmaweb/splits.html  
  
The characters of the Ranma 1/2 universe are the creation of  
the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi, who could track me down and  
sue the pants off me if she felt like it. Yada yada yada.   
  
Seriously, I always give credit where credit is due and I for   
one am glad she created Ranma 1/2. Otherwise, I'd have to   
write fanfiction on insert most hated anime. :)  
  
***********************************************  
  
THE SPLITTING: A RANMA 1/2 FANFICTION  
  
CHAPTER III: REVELATIONS   
  
By Vincent Nguyen  
  
***********************************************  
  
-Chapter 3-  
  
Ranma(C) was disoriented as she woke up in darkness. It  
took her a few moments to realize that she was staring at the  
inside of her eyelids. They felt damp as if tears had just   
soaked them recently. She tried to open her eyes, but they  
refused to obey. Giving up for now, she examined the rest of   
her body as best as she could and noticed that it felt different  
somehow.   
  
She had no further time for introspection as she felt a pair  
of hands shake her shoulders. Without volition, her eyes   
opened and stared into the face of a very familiar looking man.  
Where have I seen him before? Ranma(C) thought before the  
answer struck her. This man was her father!  
  
But he was younger and there was a kind look to his eyes  
that Ranma(C) had never seen before. All of a sudden,   
Ranma(C) felt her presence being pushed back...  
  
Nodoka Saotome blinked a few times to get her bearings  
then she sat up and said, "Genma?"  
  
He stared solemnly at her and said, "Dear, it's time."  
  
Feeling a panic rise within her, Nodoka tried to keep her  
voice level as she asked, "Couldn't we wait a few more days?  
Do you really have to take Ranma away now?"  
  
Genma sighed. "Nodoka, we have already discussed this  
for years. This is necessary if we want our son to be a man   
amongst men. Don't you want him to be special?"  
  
He's already special! Nodoka wanted to shout, but instead  
she desperately asked, "I understand all this, but is the   
seppuku contract really needed? It's just not right."  
  
"It is a matter of family honor," her husband replied firmly.   
"Please, don't worry about us. We'll be fine."  
  
Nodoka looked into his eyes and thought, Maybe it's not  
too late to back out of this. Surely Genma would understand.  
I simply don't know if this is the best thing for Ranma.  
  
But she knew that she wouldn't stop her husband. She was  
an old-fashioned woman and considered honor the most   
important possession one could have. More important than  
her son or husband? She knew that question would haunt her  
for a very long time to come.   
  
Ten minutes later, Genma was down the road, waving back   
at the house, but Nodoka only had eyes for her baby boy, who   
was now vanishing from her life. She sat in front of the window,   
numb, for what seemed like hours as she tried to process the fact   
that the two of the most important people in her life were really  
gone.  
  
Surely, she would see him again soon. A few months at the   
most. Genma had absolutely no survival skills, his days with   
Happosai and Soun having proved that, so he should give up   
soon. Then she remembered the katana Genma had given her   
and in her heart, she knew they wouldn't be coming back.  
  
Days became weeks and weeks became months and her   
prediction held true. She would have given anything for it to  
have failed. Nodoka received letters from Genma often, but  
over time she noticed that the language in his messages was  
becoming harsher and that his handwriting was deteriorating.  
They were subtle changes, but she knew they were only a   
small indication of what was happening to her husband.  
  
She suddenly realized that she was absent-mindedly   
swinging her katana around. Over the months, she had   
developed the habit of carrying the blade around with her,  
carefully wrapped up, of course. It was somehow...   
comforting to have something to hold and take care of.  
  
Nodoka snorted to herself over her foolishness. But the  
house was so lonely, except for the remains of her shattered  
dreams. She used to imagine about having a family to take   
care of and love, but now it would never happen.  
  
Those hopes had been replaced by worries about what kind  
of man her son would turn out to be. She knew every mother  
went through that, but in her case, she wouldn't even be around   
to watch him grow up. That thought brought on a pain that  
somehow almost hurt worse than when she had to see her   
baby being taken away. Almost.  
  
She gripped the handle of her sword tightly. "Why, Genma,  
did you take him from me? We were to raise him together!   
Did you really believe that I could handle the loss of both my   
husband and my child?!"  
  
The katana dropped from her grip and clattered to the   
ground and Nodoka soon followed it as she sank to her knees  
and wept, releasing all the stress and sadness she had bottled  
up for so long.  
  
She knew that this would not be the last time this scene   
would act out in the years to follow.  
  
  
Ranma(C) cried but she didn't know why. It took her   
awhile to realize that she was herself again, in mind if not body.  
It took her even longer to calm down. Months of loneliness and  
depression did not dissipate easily.  
  
But it wasn't my fault! Ranma(C) thought. That stupid old  
man did that to mom!  
  
That reasoning did nothing for her mood. Every child felt  
responsible when their mother was unhappy. Ranma(C) felt,  
however, that she was too strong to be pulled down by   
misplaced guilt.   
  
Are you now? Somehow I doubt that.  
  
"The old man did it to her!" Ranma(C) yelled, her innate   
calm being overridden by the anger and hurt she felt raging   
within her. But the words sounded feeble even to her ears.  
  
No one is disputing that, but I am talking about events that   
happened long after that. Surely, you still remember the first   
time your mother came over looking for you?  
  
"Yeah," Ranma(C) replied weakly.  
  
Can you honestly tell me that you were forced to lie to your   
mother and to deny her the joy of seeing her only child again   
after more than a decade?  
  
"How could you understand? I hadn't seen her in years! The   
only things I knew about her were from what Pops told me. I   
was afraid she'd kill me!"  
  
But she knew that wasn't a real excuse and that made the pain  
inside her ache even more. Am I going to spend the rest of my   
life making up for Pop's mistakes? Ranma(C) thought.  
  
And I suppose it was too hard for you to pick up a phone or   
write her a letter to reassure her that you were all right, the   
voice quickly countered, but strangely, there was no malice to   
the reply.  
  
Shame overwhelmed Ranma(C) at the same time that she   
struggled to come up with a reply. She said, "There were so   
many nights that I couldn't sleep because I felt so guilty   
about being able to see her, but she couldn't see me. Not the   
real me, anyway. I wanted to tell her the truth so badly.   
  
"I've started a dozen letters and I've dialed her number a   
hundred times more, but I couldn't go through with it. I didn't   
want to lie to her any more than I had to. I always told myself   
that she probably didn't take not seeing me so hard. I mean, she   
always seemed so calm and happy when she came over."  
  
She looked down. "I guess that it was pretty stupid of me to   
think that she wasn't suffering as much as I was."  
  
The voice softened. It's not your fault. Despite your   
extraordinary life, you are only seventeen years old. It's only   
natural to be confused about what is the right thing to do in   
every circumstance.  
  
"Then tell me why you are punishing me?" Ranma(C)   
demanded.  
  
I'm sorry you see it that way, but that is not the purpose   
here. But we're behind schedule.  
  
She didn't know how she knew it, but she could instantly tell   
that the presence in her mind had vanished. She would have   
fumed about it, but something caught her attention.  
  
The body she was currently in shifted position and that   
move told her several things. The body was small, female, and  
seemed to by lying on something... metallic.   
  
Shivers went up Ranma(C)'s spine as she realized who it  
had to be. NO!!! Anybody but her! Ranma(C) silently   
shouted.  
  
Ukyou Kuonji yawned as she woke up and stretched to get   
the kinks out of her. She had fallen asleep on her spatula again.  
Suddenly, she remembered. Today was the day she was going  
to leave with Ranchan and his dad! She excitedly glanced   
around for her friend, but he was nowhere to be found. She   
shrugged and went to go look for him.  
  
She searched everywhere and grew more puzzled with each  
step as her hunt revealed nothing. Where could they be? A  
clattering sound reached her ears. It was the wheels of the  
okonomiyaki cart! She'd better catch up or they might leave her  
behind! She giggled at her joke.  
  
Her smile faded as she reached the clearing only to find that  
Mister Saotome was quickly running down the road, dragging  
the cart with Ranma sitting on it.   
  
Ukyou cried, "Wait! You forgot me!"  
  
She ran after them, screaming and yelling, waiting for them  
to stop, but they didn't. Her short legs were burning, her heart  
pounded wildly within her chest, and her breaths came out in  
painful gasps, but she forced herself on by sheer force of will.  
  
But even the greatest will could only keep going for so   
long. She fell further and further behind until she finally fell  
to the ground, tears streaming down her face and her voice too  
hoarse to do anything other than to sob silently into the dirt.  
  
She made herself look up and through the misty haze, she  
saw the boy she had considered her best friend in the entire  
world waving at her and laughing cheerfully.  
  
He was laughing at her, Ukyou thought as her heart broke  
to pieces.  
  
  
Ranma! Ranma Saotome!  
  
Ranma(C) closed her eyes and turned away from where the   
voice seemed to be coming from. "Just leave me alone, please.   
I really don't want to hear more about what a horrible person I   
am. Don't you think that I already know?"  
  
Then you believe this incident and others similar to it are   
a result of your actions?  
  
"Of course not! At least... not directly." Ranma(C) felt a   
compulsion to be honest.  
  
Then why do you feel responsible? I concede these   
mistakes were not of your making so why do you feel guilty?  
  
"Because I have some compassion in me, you know!"  
  
Maybe there's hope for you after all then.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ranma(C) demanded.  
  
You have never learned the fundamental reason for being   
a martial artist. Compassion is what people need and what you   
have even though your father certainly never taught you. You   
have a good heart but you never truly understood what you   
were supposed to use it for. Your life would have gone much   
better if you had.  
  
Ranma(C) shook her head. "I still don't understand."  
  
Oh? Let's make a few more stops, shall we? Don't worry,   
it won't take long.  
  
Ranma(C) had no time to try to protest.  
  
  
Things were moving too fast for her tastes. All she had   
wanted to do when she got home was rest and try to forget   
about the events at Phoenix Mountain. But apparently, her   
dad and Mister Saotome had different ideas.  
  
Akane sighed in exasperation. She couldn't believe that   
her dad would blackmail her like that! She knew that her   
marrying Ranma was very important to him, but this was   
ridiculous! She intended to have a talk with him, but now she   
had bigger worries on her mind.  
  
Did she *want* to marry Ranma? It was possible that she   
might have feelings for him, but she was still in high school   
for Kami's sake! But would it really be so bad? She thought   
back to her strongest memory of what had happened in China,   
when she had clearly heard Ranma say he loved her.   
  
The door to my room suddenly burst open and Ranma   
marched in, yelling, "Hey Akane! What is this nonsense   
about you agreeing to the w..."  
  
Ranma's jaw dropped as he stopped in his tracks and the   
shocked look on his face was priceless. Akane resisted the   
urge to laugh and instead tried to put on a sultry look. She   
batted her lashes and said, "Hello, Ranma..."  
  
She could practically hear his heart beating in his chest.   
Ranma made some meaningless sounds of gibberish. Akane   
knew that this was mean, but this was the most fun she had all   
day. Considering the fact that earlier the same day, she had   
almost died...  
  
Akane mentally pushed that thought out of her mind. It   
was too disturbing to think about for the moment. She   
suddenly noticed that Ranma hadn't blinked for some time   
now. She asked, "Do you like my dress, Ranma? I guess the   
Japanese-style one would have been better after all."  
  
She watched in amusement as Ranma stumbled over   
himself to speak. He said, "You look really beautiful,   
Akane..."  
  
The expected bride tried to deny it, but a feeling of warmth   
went through her as she heard those words. Compliments   
from Ranma Saotome were few and far and she appreciated   
every one of them whenever they came. She tried to sound   
indifferent, but her excitement broke through as she said,   
"You really think so? I'm glad."  
  
There was an awkward silence. Akane felt a tinge of guilt   
and sadness over the fact that Ranma had to be forced into   
this. This was her wedding day, unwanted or not, and it was   
supposed to be the happiest day of her life.   
  
She reminded herself that this was for Ranma's cure, but   
was that the only reason she was doing this? She needed time   
to resolve her feelings for her finance. Why couldn't her father   
understand that? Didn't he realize that she had almost *died*   
today?  
  
A voice interrupted her thoughts with the stammering of,   
"Um... you see.... well..."  
  
Akane looked up and said, "Yes, Ranma?"  
  
"Why the sudden change of heart?" Ranma asked curiously.   
"What made you want to go ahead with the wedding?"  
  
"Well..." Akane blushed then forced herself to say the   
hardest question she ever had to say. "Ranma, you love me,   
don't you?"  
  
"Um... I do?" Ranma asked nervously. He said quickly,   
"What made you think of that all of a sudden?"  
  
Akane's heart began to sink. Could she have been wrong   
about what she had heard? She refused to believe that. "When   
you were crying over me at Jusenkyo... I could have sworn I   
heard you say... you know, say you loved me."  
  
Ranma's eyes opened really wide and he cried, "I'm sure I   
didn't say it out loud! I didn't NO WAY!"  
  
"What's the difference?" Akane cried, anger welling up   
within her. Even if she hadn't heard it with her ears, she had   
felt it all the same. "I'm just as sure I heard you in some way!"  
  
Ranma went into a stance and put up his hands. He   
sputtered, "What?! You wanna fight about it?! You'll ruin that   
pretty dress of yours like that."   
  
"HMPH! Fine, be that way," Akane said turning away to   
hide the fact that at the moment she wanted to cry. "Obviously,   
I made a mistake when I pushed myself to go through with this   
wedding."   
  
She wished desperately for Ranma to tell her that she was   
wrong, that he was glad that the two of them were going to get   
married, but he was simply scared. But she knew Ranma too   
well. Whether out of pride or something else, he would never   
admit that he was afraid. She couldn't let him do this. He had   
saved her life and at this point, there was nothing she wouldn't   
do for him.  
  
Akane turned to Ranma and gave him a hard look, a look   
that conveyed that he'd better listen if he knew what was good   
for him. She said in a low voice, "But I'm warning you,   
Ranma... If you call it off at this point, you'll regret it."  
  
Things got worse from there.  
  
Akane sat in her room and stared at the ceiling. The   
wedding had been a disaster, of course, as it had been crashed   
by all of Nerima's most chaotic martial artists. Yet she   
couldn't find it within herself to be mad. She couldn't really   
blame the uninvited 'guests' as she knew that she probably   
would have shared their reaction of Ranma having a wedding   
out of the blue like that.   
  
It was actually a relief, though, that they had showed up.   
Though she most likely would have felt differently if Ukyou   
and Shampoo had managed to hit her with their culinary   
bombs! What was up with that, anyway?   
  
Still, Akane felt a little disappointed. She really would   
have gone through with it if she had to, but then she thought   
about it. She didn't want to get married for Ranma's sake. She   
wanted it for her sake too.   
  
She shouldn't have gotten mad at Ranma. She should have   
known that he wasn't ready, but what he said still hurt. If   
truth be told, she wasn't ready for marriage either, but that   
wasn't what was bothering her.  
  
She loved him. She could finally admit it to herself, but   
that realization brought her no joy, only a feeling of intense   
loneliness as she thought about the earlier events of today.   
Was it possible that Ranma really didn't love her? She   
thought he did but now she wasn't sure at all.   
  
There was so many signs that indicated that he did, but was   
that just wishful thinking on her part? She knew that she   
hadn't always been the kindest person to Ranma, but what of   
all the good times they had together? They did almost everything   
together! Who knew him better than she did, though her anger   
often clouded her good sense? But now she felt like she didn't   
know him at all.  
  
This was not the way things were supposed to go.  
  
  
Ranma(C) woke up in complete and utter darkness. But this  
wasn't the same kind of darkness she had been experiencing  
every time she shifted. She could tell that she was somewhere  
drastically different. How long it had been, she didn't know.   
  
Normally, this would have been disturbing to her, but   
compared to what just happened, it was an enormous relief.  
  
She sat there, alone with her thoughts. She just didn't have   
the energy to get up and try to explore. She prided herself on   
being able to defeat any menace or attacker, but there was no   
way she could deal with this. No matter what other people   
thought, she was still human and she had limits.  
  
There was nothing to distract her from the depression that   
was slowly enveloping her mind. It was almost addictive and it   
seemed more comfortable to hide in the feeling rather than think   
about the events that caused it.   
  
Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw a white light   
appear into being. She stared blankly at it and after a moment,   
the voice she loathed so much spoke. Are you just going to   
sit there and wallow in sorrow?  
  
"Why not?" Ranma(C) asked. "Ryouga does it all the time."  
  
The voice chuckled. Ah, I see that you still retain your   
sense of humor. I was afraid that this experience might have   
broken you. Most human beings can't handle this level of   
empathy with another person's pain.  
  
That got a rise out of Ranma(C) and she said, "Well, I'm   
not most people. Ranma Saotome can handle anything!"  
  
Except your own life, of course.  
  
"It's not my fault all this stuff has happened to me!"   
Ranma(C) yelled.  
  
It's not my fault, the voice mocked. You seem to   
conveniently forget that while your father may have caused   
many of your problems, you are the main reason that many of   
them are here. Evil exists when good people stand by and do   
nothing.  
  
Ranma(C) opened her mouth to protest, but she fell silent   
as dozens of foreign memories flowed through her mind. Then   
she asked, "Am I really that bad?"  
  
No, you aren't, the voice replied, surprising Ranma(C).   
You had no control over the events in your life up until the   
time you arrived in Nerima. But once you were there, you had   
free will for determining your future, but instead you erected   
an emotional shell around yourself at the expense of others.   
  
The voice asked in a puzzled tone, But why? What were   
you afraid of? And don't give me that you're not afraid of   
anything. You may be a master of the martial arts, but when   
you're confronted with anything emotional you become a   
wreck and try to ignore the problem.  
  
"So I'm a jerk," Ranma(C) said bitterly. "I may not say it   
but I do care about those idiots. I do the best I can for them.  
What I want to know is, out of all the people in the world,   
why are you bothering me?"   
  
I can't tell you that, but I can tell you that while your   
efforts are made with good intentions, they aren't enough.   
You've had a firsthand look at what your presence had caused   
in the lives of other people. Though it's not directly your fault,   
you still feel guilt. I can't tell you why you are chosen, but the   
object here is not punish you but to open your eyes and show   
you that doing nothing is the worst thing you could do.   
  
"Don't you think I know that?" Ranma(C) yelled. "But do   
you know what would happen if I tried something? I'll just   
make things worse! I couldn't take that!"  
  
The white light grew in luminescence. How do you know   
that will happen when you don't even try?! You are a martial   
artist so act like one! You are afraid to correct things because   
you didn't know what upsetting the status quo would mean, but   
sometimes, risks must be taken.  
  
"Damned if I do, damned if I don't. I know it's selfish but if   
something *did* go wrong, it really would be my fault,"   
Ranma(C) said looking downcast.  
  
The past does not necessarily determine the future.   
Your other half may be bound by the prison he has   
constructed, but you, on the other hand, are not. Martial arts  
was created to help people who can't help themselves. That  
doesn't just apply to physical problems.  
  
How do you want to live your life, Ranma Saotome?  
  
The light grew to blinding proportions and Ranma(C) knew   
no more.  
  
  
A few moments went by then the power of the light went   
down to about a hundred watt lightbulb, revealing for the first   
time the appearance of a woman and a man. They were both   
dressed professionally and would have looked completely   
normal to the unsuspecting eye. Except for one thing.   
  
The woman was wearing a tag on her blouse with the word   
'Supervisor' on it while the man had a tag with 'Not A   
Supervisor' on his.   
  
The woman rolled her eyes in exasperation then turned to   
the widely grinning man and gave him a stern look. "I'm not   
sure if it was the intelligent thing to do by interfering so soon   
after the separation." She put an emphasis on the word   
'intelligent'.  
  
The man shrugged. "I don't like it anymore than you do,   
Cindy, but the fate of the world does rest on this. Sheesh, that   
sounds so cliche! Anyway, we've talked about this and we *are*   
on a time table. The best way to get the female Ranma out of   
her depression was to give her something to fight for."  
  
"Why do you insist on using these Earthly names? I knew   
you were eccentric, but now is not the time for such   
foolishness. Besides, we get strange looks at company meetings."  
  
The man appeared to be inspecting his fingernails. He   
looked up and said, "Huh?"  
  
The woman sighed. "All right, *Ned*."  
  
The aforementioned Ned looked up, smiling. "Yes, Cindy?"  
  
The woman reluctantly named Cindy resisted the urge to  
mallet her annoying associate. The fact that she thought of   
malleting him at all alarmed her slightly. She thought, I've   
been spending too much time on Earth.  
  
Trying to get back on track, she asked, "Aren't you afraid of   
arousing suspicions in this early a stage?"  
  
A hand was waved, dismissing the matter. "Don't worry so   
much. Our friend here will barely remember this. As we   
speak, the memories are already fading for they didn't belong   
to her in the first place. Mister Saotome may interpret what's   
left as a dream, but the determination to do what's right will   
still take hold."  
  
"What if it doesn't?" Cindy asked skeptically.  
  
Ned's smile faded as he took on a more serious tone. "I   
believe that I am than capable of making a judgement on   
something this serious. I *have* been studying the boy for   
years. This is why I was chosen for this job, was it not?"  
  
Cindy held up her hands in surrender. "Okay, who am I to   
argue? You have more knowledge in this matter. The young   
man and all those connected to him are under your jurisdiction,   
but that does lead me to wonder about your objectivity in all   
this."  
  
"Everything is going according to the Rules. So what if I   
have a secondary objective? What I'm doing will satisfy both   
our goals," the man replied confidently.  
  
"Yes, you've taken quite an interest in this Ranma Saotome   
and the others that interact with him. Frankly, I believe this is  
the only reason that you've been assigned to this."  
  
"What can I say? They are the most exciting assignment   
I've had in centuries," Ned said, his tone suggesting he was   
not joking. "But that isn't all there is to it. I *like* these   
chaotic misfits and if we are going to do this to them then we're   
doing it my way. As it is, I *really* hate having to do these   
things, necessary or not."  
  
Cindy gave a nod of sympathy then said, "It's none of my   
business but I hope you remember that this isn't just about them.   
It's about the greater good."   
  
There was a snort of disbelief. "*Please.* It's always *said*   
to be about the greater good, but you know our high and mighty   
bosses are just looking out for their own hides. The fact   
that we and billions of other people are saved will merely be a   
positive side effect to them. Or have you overlooked the fact  
that only a handful of us workers are on this project?"  
  
Ned waved his hands. "I know what you're going to say.  
Only a few could be spared for this task. *I* still say those  
stuffed shirts expect us to fail."   
  
"You seem to have forgotten that I'm one of those stuffed   
shirts you're insulting here," Cindy said dryly.  
  
"It figures that's what you'd focus on," Ned said, chuckling.  
"Besides, who said that I forgot?"  
  
The woman glared at him and the man smiled at her. "I'm   
kidding. I happen to hold you in an esteemed regard. It's a   
shame that you will slowly transform into a tyrannical   
bureaucrat. Alas, I knew you well."  
  
"Not feeling optimistic today, are we?" Cindy said,   
struggling to keep a straight face.  
  
"I'm *always* optimistic, but that doesn't mean I can't be   
realistic too. Besides, you said yourself that we geniuses are a   
bit eccentric."  
  
"I don't recall calling you a genius..."  
  
Ned continued smoothly as if she had said nothing, "This  
combination of intellect and creativity has allowed me to come  
up with many unique ideas."   
  
"Like this crazy plan of yours, right?" Cindy said   
sardonically.  
  
"Of course. But with my genius mind, I have also modified   
it from my original approved schematics with the addition of   
*truth spray* into the subject. I thought that it was only fair to   
make things easier on her or him, depending on how you see things,   
seeing what we're planning."  
  
"You did what?!" The supervisor cried, horrified.   
  
"Just a little bit. I've injected the formula into her   
pheromones to help her in her tasks. What harm could it do?   
All it does is calm individuals down enough so that they can   
listen to the truth without jumping into homicidal rages. You'd   
be surprised at how often my charges do that."  
  
"Do you realize what you have done? This was done   
without authorization of any sort and now you have to face the   
consequences-"   
  
"Relax, my friend. I was only kidding."   
  
"You were?" Cindy asked suspiciously.  
  
"Yes, I was. Then again, maybe I wasn't," Ned said, raising  
his eyebrows a bit too innocently.  
  
"You're treading on thin ice here, pal," the woman growled.  
"You seem to constantly forget that I outrank you."  
  
Ned shrugged. "No risk is too great when it's for survival.   
Besides, if my plan works, I'm sure the bigwigs will be too busy   
celebrating to be assigning blame for a few minor...   
indiscretions."   
  
"Whatever. But I want to know what this grand, fantastic   
plan of yours is that you've been babbling about for the last   
few months," the woman said firmly.  
  
"I'm sorry but I can't tell you. If the word got out, all my   
projections might be ruined. The hierarchy may be slow, but   
it's surprising how fast news can travel up and down it."   
  
"I think that you've been spending too much time with the   
humans," Cindy said with no trace of humor in her voice.  
  
"You may be right. It's all a part of my master plan."   
  
"You really can't tell me how it will turn out at least?  
We've known each other for centuries!" Cindy said.  
  
"Seriously, I can't tell you," Ned replied. Then he grinned   
widely. "You probably wouldn't understand, being a stuffed   
shirt and all."  
  
"You are so infuriating!" Cindy yelled before fading away.   
  
A weary look crossed over the lone man's face. He spoke  
into the darkness. "I really can't tell you that I'm making this   
up as I go along. Or that I curse the idiot in Personnel who  
assigned *me*, the Galactic Slacker, to try to save an entire   
planet!"  
  
He put his face into his hands. "God, I hate doing this." 


	4. Changes

funvince@hotmail.com  
http://www.angelfire.com/anime2/ranmanexus/ranmaweb/splits.html  
  
The characters of the Ranma 1/2 universe are the creation of  
the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi, who could track me down and  
sue the pants off me if she felt like it. Yada yada yada.   
  
Seriously, I always give credit where credit is due and I for   
one am glad she created Ranma 1/2. Otherwise, I'd have to   
write fanfiction on insert most hated anime. :)  
  
***********************************************  
  
THE SPLITTING: A RANMA 1/2 FANFICTION  
  
CHAPTER IV: CHANGES  
  
By Vincent Nguyen  
  
***********************************************  
  
-Chapter 4-  
  
How do you want to live your life, Ranma Saotome?  
  
Those were the first words that popped into her head   
when she opened her eyes and stared into the blackness   
around her. She felt a brief surge of panic, one where her   
heart tried to leap out of her chest, before she realized that it   
was simply night time and she had been dreaming.  
  
She propped herself up on her elbow and looked over her   
body. Her undershirt was drenched in sweat and her breaths   
were coming out short and shallow. She forced herself to   
calm down and concentrate.  
  
She obviously had a nightmare and that in itself was   
nothing to be too concerned about. But what did worry her   
was the fact that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't   
remember what she had been dreaming about. Every   
nightmare she had ever had she could always vividly recall it   
once she awoke but not this one.   
  
The solution to her problem seemed to be hanging around   
just at the edge of her consciousness but when she tried to   
directly focus on it, it would just immediately fade away. One   
thing she did grasp was the notion that what had happened to   
her wasn't a nightmare, not really. Then what was it? Her   
inner voice was silent.  
  
She focused within herself for answer that wasn't   
forthcoming. Not being one to give up, she redoubled her   
efforts until finally, she inadvertently fell into a meditative   
trance. Into the state where one wasn't quite awake but not   
quite asleep either. The state where things that never made   
sense in the light of full consciousness suddenly were   
illuminated.  
  
As she lied there trying to determine what was going on, she   
noticed a feeling growing within her. It was one of... sadness.   
So much that she instinctively shied away from it at first but   
then as she cautiously prodded it, she realized something.   
Much of this emotion came from within her but she could feel   
most of it coming from outside her as well.  
  
Getting up and ignoring the fact that it was the middle of   
the night, she silently drifted by the rooms in the house and   
briefly stuck her head in.   
  
Standing there, various emotions began to permeate into her   
mind. Happiness, satisfaction, fear, and anger were all running   
around through the people sleeping around her. Feelings of grief   
and heartaches emanated from everyone, even Kasumi, the girl   
who always seemed so happy and at peace.  
  
There were no images or sound, just the simple *feeling* at   
the level of empathy she had never known before. It came as no   
small surprise to her that the faces she saw everyday had a deeper   
complexity to them than she had ever suspected.   
  
She really shouldn't have been so shocked but it never really   
occurred to her that other people felt as bad as she did sometimes.  
  
This realization was almost enough to snap her out of the daze   
she was in but not quite.  
  
Walking out to the dojo to get away from the mental   
noise, she sat down and assumed the lotus position. She   
stared out at the koi pond for a while, not really understanding   
why she was out here. She might have been imagining it but as   
she sat there she felt like she could feel the emotions of the entire   
neighborhood around her. There was sadness and anger but   
there was happiness too, centered around the little things that so   
many people took for granted.  
  
Wishing to come to terms with these new sensations she   
focused within herself even deeper and noticed that some   
changes had taken place. She couldn't quite put a finger on it but   
she felt different somehow. Her head felt clearer than it had ever   
been, and not just before the splitting either but as far back as   
she could remember. Many things that had never made quite   
sense to her clicked into place. It was time for a change.  
  
There were plenty of other people out there who definitely   
had lives worse than hers. Sure, hers was probably the most   
chaotic but at least she was well fed, had a roof over her   
head, and could honestly never say she was bored.  
  
How many people in the world have it so bad that they   
would switch lives with me in a second? Ranma(C) thought   
as she pondered with her chin on one hand. Are there worse   
things to transform into than a girl? Images of Ryouga's   
sorrowful face superimposed over a small, black piglet, a cat   
and a duck making sounds of sadness after being dunked in   
water, a multi-tentacled monster consumed with anger and   
hatred.  
  
A voice seemed to speak from within her. Yes, you're a   
girl but you're also human and that means that you have   
choices. How many of your problems will you solve feeling   
sorry for yourself? Forget your titles for a minute, that of   
Master of Anything Goes Martial Arts, man among men, vile   
sorcerer, pig-tailed girl, son of Genma and Nodoka Saotome,   
Akane Tendo's fiancee, Airen, son-in-law, womanizer. This   
is how others see you or expect you to be and that's not   
important. What's important is how you see yourself.  
  
Are you or are you not Ranma Saotome, a good human   
being?  
  
At that moment, the voice disappeared along with   
whatever else had been with her. She was suddenly quite lucid  
and alone with her thoughts as she continued staring out at what   
was currently the peaceful town of Nerima.   
  
After an indefinite amount of time, she came to a decision.   
Quite a number of them, actually. She wanted to formulate   
some more details but weariness quickly overwhelmed her   
and she shuffled back to her room.  
  
Ranma(C) went back to her bed feeling at peace for the   
first time in a long time. Her last thought before drifting off   
completely was, Maybe not now but someday...  
  
  
"Are you trying to kill me, ya crazy tomboy!"  
  
CLANG!  
  
Ranma(C) sighed as Akane smashed Ranma over the head   
with a frying pan. Another typical night at the Tendo   
household. One of the things she noticed in her new life was   
that Ranma and Akane fought. A lot. Over the stupidest   
things. *Every* single day. It made her wonder how she had   
never really noticed this before when she had been the actual   
participant in the daily chaos around her.  
  
Today, it was over Akane's concoctions, which was one   
of the few topics that she really couldn't blame him for   
making a fuss about. While Akane's regular cooking had   
become palatable, (another word for edible) she was going   
Italian for dinner and anything new or exotic was quite toxic   
to the human digestive system.  
  
The rest of the family had already fled in horror but   
Ranma was resigned to his fate. He was dead whether he ran   
or stayed so he had decided that if he was going to leave this   
world, he would do it with some dignity. His decision was   
somewhat forced by the fact that nobody had bothered to   
warn him that Akane was cooking that evening and so had no   
chance to escape.  
  
Ranma(C) had stayed just for the heck of it. Besides, she   
simply had nowhere else to go.   
  
She had been through this scene so many times herself  
that she couldn't help but get a sort of morbid fascination   
from watching it from another perspective. But it was also   
very frustrating to be able to predict with great accuracy   
what would happen next but be helpless to stop it. Not that   
she would have traded places with Ranma for anything at   
that moment. Well, almost anything.  
  
Truth be told, Ranma(C) herself wasn't exactly there in the   
moment. While part of her mind was marveling on the scene   
before her, another part was busy trying to work out what   
happened a few nights ago. Many of the details that came to   
her were blurry and incomprehensible and she dismissed those   
as either belonging to a strange dream or to not enough sleep.  
  
What she couldn't banish so easily were her clearest   
memories of what she had been thinking that night. Did she   
still want to go through with it? She looked around at   
everyone then nodded to herself. Yep, it was definitely time   
for a change.   
  
This rapid attitude adjustment didn't really bother her.   
Ranma(C) had always considered herself a good person deep   
down. As long as she was stuck this way she might as well   
try to improve what had been her former life. It might even   
help take her mind off the more unappealing aspects of her   
current existence and besides, she had to get back into the   
gist of things before she faded too completely. No one   
ignored Ranma Saotome, no matter what shape or form!  
  
Happy with her rationalization, she set about to at least try   
what Akane claimed was food when she noticed that the table   
was gone.  
  
"Ranma no baka!" With that cry, Akane smashed Ranma   
through the roof with said wooden table. Hmm, she hadn't   
done that in a while, Ranma(C) noted with interest.  
  
Well, down to business. It had taken her a while to decide   
what to do but it became obvious that before anything else,   
the rift between Akane and Ranma must be fixed. They were   
the focal point that everything else revolved around. There was   
also some more personal motivations behind her decision but   
time to think about that later.  
  
It had taken her a couple days but she had a plan and she was   
sure that this one would actually work. Okay, reasonably sure.   
Her track record in creating successful schemes was kind of   
lame after all, though she had some pretty good ones that had   
actually succeeded in the past. Out of incredible luck and   
coincidence, perhaps, but wasn't it the results that counted?  
  
She casually stretched out arms then proceeded to put her   
plan into action. She turned to Akane and asked, "Didn't you   
overreact just a little bit?"  
  
Akane whirled around, her eyes blazing with an almost   
reddish hue, and Ranma(C) held out her hands defensively.   
"Listen to me for a minute! Ranma had a good point though   
he could have been more tactful about it. Your cooking   
could use some improvement."  
  
Akane had a death grip on her weapon of mass   
destruction (and it was quite a number that had fallen under   
its ministrations. Okay, mostly Ranma but that number by   
itself is staggering), but it was a testament to what little   
restraint she had that she didn't make any forward movements.  
  
"Why," she gasped through gritted teeth, "Am I listening   
to this?"  
  
Ranma(C) paused in thought. She had to be extremely   
careful about this. Dealing with this Tendo girl when she   
was so agitated was like dealing with a minefield.   
Unfortunately, there was no way for her to avoid it and still   
make her point.   
  
All right, tit for tat. She figured if she criticized herself a   
bit, Akane would see that she was really being serious and   
listen to her for once. She said, "You never learned how to   
control your temper, did you? Sorta like how I never learned   
not to shoot off my mouth with whatever jumps into my   
head. Pops was never any good at teaching good social skills.   
Probably because he didn't have any himself. Anyway, what   
he did teach me to do was to accept criticism. Do you think   
I got this good by denying it whenever I did something   
wrong?"  
  
A flickering blue aura suddenly surrounded Akane as she   
growled, "Are you saying that there's something wrong with   
my cooking?" She raised her mallet and having lost all   
reasoning, rushed Ranma(C), who in turn easily blocked the   
strike and disarmed her in one swift move before setting the   
weapon down on the floor. Ranma(C) looked down at it and   
sighed. So much for Akane listening to reason.  
  
"What? How did you do that?" Akane asked in shock.   
She knew the how of course but the question of why was too   
much for her confused mind to think about.  
  
Ranma(C) chuckled lightly. "Honestly, Akane. I've taken   
down things that'd kill any normal person and you think I   
can't avoid a simple mallet strike?"  
  
"Well... I *know*. You've just never done it before, that's   
all," Akane said testily, not fooling Ranma(C) for a second.  
  
"You can be so blind sometimes, Akane," Ranma(C) said   
smiling at her. "But I like you anyway."  
  
While Akane stood flabbergasted by this statement,   
pondering whether or not she should feel mad or flattered,   
Ranma(C) suddenly grabbed her hand and dragged her out to   
the koi pond.  
  
"You wanted me to take you seriously? Time for your   
first training lesson. You already know everything you need   
to for this. You just need to know how to apply it."  
  
As soon as she finished, she immediately jumped to the   
roof of the dojo in one graceful leap. Then she looked   
down at Akane and tapped her foot impatiently. Akane   
jumped a few times trying to reach for the edge of the roof   
then she gave a frustrated sigh. "Ranma, you know I can't do   
this."  
  
The pig-tailed girl raised an eyebrow. "Really? I must be   
thinking of some other overweight, clumsy tomboy who is   
always chasing me across rooftops."  
  
"RANMA!" In the blink of an eye, Akane appeared next   
to Ranma with her hands locked in her hammering position.   
They stayed there until she realized that she didn't have her   
mallet. Ranma(C) grinned at her expression and knew it had   
been a good idea to deprive Akane of her weapon first.  
  
"I really shouldn't have to explain this to you. A good   
martial artist can use any powerful emotion to fuel their ki   
and do some amazing things."  
  
"I know this," Akane said. "I've seen it done the entire   
time that you were here. But sometimes I still can't quite   
believe it. I've been taught that it's impossible to jump this   
high. I didn't know things like ki blasts or magic were   
possible until you came along and sometimes I can't help but   
think this is just some elaborate dream."  
  
"And you wonder why I don't like school," Ranma(C) said   
as she laid down and put her hands behind her head. "They're   
too close-minded. Maybe in some other universe you'd have   
to follow the rules, but in this one, if you can put your mind   
to it you can do anything. There are no limits if you have   
sufficient will.  
  
"Akane, I have seen you do this a dozen times at least.   
Heck, during that Phoenix egg incident you were able to keep   
up right with me. But the day after I saw you trying to reach   
the top of the back wall. You can do it in times of passion   
but you need to be able to control your ability for when you   
simply want to instead of having to need to."  
  
Ranma(C) shifted her position to look at Akane more   
directly. "What were you feeling just a moment ago?"  
  
"I... don't really know," Akane stammered. "I mean, one   
minute I was on the ground then a moment later, I was just so...   
angry and I wasn't thinking-"  
  
Ranma(C) interrupted excitely, "And that's exactly what you   
want! You're not supposed to be thinking! Oh sure, you have to   
decide to jump up on the roof and what you're going to do once   
you're up there but the actual act of doing it should be nothing   
more than a simple directive to your body to do something and   
have it carried out.  
  
"You have to be in the moment and not be weighed down by   
irrelevant concerns about how you shouldn't even be able to do   
this or you don't know if you really have the ability to do so. You   
either do it or you don't. If you don't, you get right back up and   
do it again until you got it right."  
  
"Use the Force," Akane intoned before breaking down into   
giggles.  
  
Ranma(C) gave her an annoyed but amused glance. "Well,   
sort of. You got to use the power of your mind, body, and spirit   
all working as one. With all the chaos that's happened around   
here you've improved tremendously. With my help, of course.   
All you need is more practice and I'll try my best to help you with   
that. On one condition."  
  
Akane was beyong estatic. Finally, someone was actually   
taking her dreams of being a great martial artist seriously! Ranma,   
no less! She almost drifted off into one of her daydreams of being   
in Ranma's league and being able to do the fantastic things that   
people there took so much for granted. But then Ranma(C)'s   
words hit her.  
  
"What condition?" Akane asked, fearing the pig-tailed girl   
would ask for something ridiculous that would either embarrass   
or anger her. Possibly both.  
  
Now came the hard part. Ranma(C) took a deep breath   
then plunged on. "Because I really believe that anything is   
possible, I'm going to ask you to do something that's probably   
going to be real difficult for you. Here goes. Akane, I want you   
to control your temper."  
  
"What!"  
  
Ranma(C) sat up and glared at her. "A martial artist has   
to have control! Without it, they're a danger to themselves   
and others. I know what you're thinking, no one else around   
here appears to do that. What you may not have noticed is   
that every single one of my fiancees and rivals always has a   
tightly controlled aura of discipline around that isn't always   
readily apparent. Has a bystander ever been hurt? No.  
Accidents may happen sometimes, but they occur less often   
than they could be if they didn't have some degree of control   
over their emotions and actions. You don't have that.  
  
"Before I train you, you have to make me a promise on   
your family's honor. I know you won't break that. Promise   
me that you won't hit or strike Ranma in any way out of anger."  
  
Akane was silent for a long time as she thought about   
this then her stricken eyes rose up to her. "You know what   
you're asking me to do?"  
  
Ranma(C) rolled her eyes. Akane was always so melodramatic.   
It must be all those acting classes. She said, "I'm asking you to   
listen to Ranma for once before jumping to any conclusions.   
I'm asking you to talk to him instead of batting him away."   
  
Her voice softened. "I know this will be hard. You're going   
to have to lower your shields and do something different, but   
I'll be happy to help you. Your problems won't go away if   
you hit him. I want you to carefully consider that the next   
time you get the urge to pound him. I know that I-he can be   
a jerk but you also know why he acts that way. Give him a   
chance."  
  
Akane was silent for a moment. Who was this person in  
front of her that spoke and looked like Ranma but was somehow  
so different? The look in her eyes matched those of the Ranma  
who was always saving her and wasn't afraid of what others thought.  
This was the Ranma that never stayed around very long.   
  
Maybe because of her. For the first time in a long time, Akane felt  
ashamed. She was about to agree to Ranma(C)'s condition but there   
was something she needed to know first.  
  
She asked timidly, "Why do you let me hit you? You don't   
have to. There's no reason for you to." She looked down trying to   
keep down the tears that were welling up.  
  
"Yes, there is," Ranma(C) said tenderly, lifting up Akane's   
chin. "If it even makes you feel the slightest bit better, I   
would do anything for you."  
  
Ranma(C) didn't know where this newfound feeling of   
responsibility had come from but she wasn't going to ignore it.   
That in itself had caused most of her problems. She was   
becoming quickly embarrassed though and she averted her   
eyes.   
  
Where had the mush she just said come from? Her defenses   
must be coming down if she had allowed that to slip out. She   
thought briefly about taking it back but that seemed cowardly   
and besides, she found she didn't want to.  
  
Akane was slowly shaking her head. "Oh, Ranma. That's   
sweet. Idiotic, yeah, but sweet."  
  
Ranma(C) replied, "Hey! A guy tries to do something nice   
for his fiancee... Uh, I mean, there are a lot of times when I   
do deserve it. I kinda of think of it as negative reinforcement,   
though it apparently isn't working too well. Besides, I don't   
really mind, it doesn't hurt that much and I'm all the stronger   
for it. You're also a lot calmer once the stress is released.   
Believe me, I would have raised a storm a long time ago if I hadn't   
thought your fetish did more good than bad. You're like my version   
of the bakusai tenketsu technique!"   
  
Akane looked amused. "The things you do for training. Your   
father's influence, no doubt." She smiled at her comment and   
the redhead froze at the sight of it.  
  
The former boy struggled for a moment then continued,   
"But remember this: familiarity breeds contempt. At some   
point, Ranma will get tired of this treatment and things will   
go downhill from there. Both of you have made mistakes but   
I'm hoping you can take the first step in fixing them."   
  
Ranma(C) grinned at Akane and said in a joking manner,   
"Right now he's only tolerating your actions because he's   
afraid you'll turn into some crazed maniac!"  
  
Akane giggled and Ranma(C)'s mind blew. Akane   
regarded the currently brain-dead girl before her and sighed.   
"Okay, Ranma. I promise on my family's honor that I will   
not strike either of you out of anger. I hope you appreciate   
this!"  
  
"It has never mattered what I thought, only what you did,"   
Ranma(C) said softly. Then she said more loudly, "Wow!   
Anything is possible! What's next? Your cooking will   
actually be edible?"  
  
"Ranma!" Akane punched her in the arm but there was no   
force or anger behind it.  
  
What followed was one of those rare mushy moments   
where two people could be completely comfortable with each   
other in silence. It wouldn't last.  
  
"RANMA SAOTOME! PREPARE TO DIE!"  
  
  
Today was a new day and hopefully things would also be   
different. Ranma(C) vowed to keep an eye on Akane   
throughout that day and avert any close calls that would no   
doubt arise. She wondered if it was a good idea to have   
made Akane quit cold turkey like that. Maybe she should   
have instituted a three strikes a day limit policy or something   
like that.  
  
No use worrying about it now. She calmed her mind in   
preparation in what would be equally as hard for her as   
restraining her temper around Ranma would be for Akane.   
Sparring with said tomboy. It was with trepidation that she   
entered the dojo where her new student was waiting.  
  
It didn't turn out to be too bad. She had been afraid that   
Akane would make a fuss over the fact that she was pulling her   
punches and kicks, but Akane still seemed to be overjoyed to be   
fought with at all.  
  
Using her trained eyes in the capacity of a sensei, Ranma(C)   
could see that Akane really had improved since she had met her   
more than a year ago. She was definitely faster, though not as   
fast as her. All those times Akane had chased her around or tried   
to hit her during sparring practice seemed to have really paid   
off. She was also stronger which was probably from all the   
brick breaking, dummy smashing, and let's not forget Ranma   
bashing she did whenever she got angry. If one judged by   
that alone, one would think she was stronger than Ryouga!   
Seriously though, she once saw Akane put a dent in a wall but   
hurt her hand. Now, she could probably put her fist more   
than halfway through without hurting herself.   
  
Also, Akane didn't quite telegraph her moves so obviously   
anymore. She had more grace now though she still tried too   
hard to apply her brute strength. She had tried really hard to   
try to catch Ranma(C) off-guard over the last couple months.   
She had almost succeeded a couple times too and only   
Ranma(C)'s superior speed had saved her. Most of the time,   
she knew Akane well enough that she could predict her next   
five moves. She would have to work with her on that. That   
was no way for a student of Anything Goes to be.  
  
Akane really did have more potential than most people   
thought. Ranma(C) remembered the fight with Natsume and   
Kurumi and how after just training with Ryouga for about a   
week she had gotten drastically better. Why, if Akane had   
been training with her she could have beaten those two hands   
down! In her ego driven analysis she conveniently forgot   
why they hadn't been training together at the time.  
  
Akane was a bit upset about Ranma(C)'s insistence on   
starting with the basics but her new sensei had countered that   
she simply wanted to evaluate what she had been taught and   
if she was so highly skilled she should be able to adjust her   
techniques when necessary without too much trouble.  
  
Techniques and abilities that she took for granted were   
struggled with by Akane and it forced Ranma(C) to think, to   
pause, and to slowly take things apart and explain them. But   
as if to balance it out, Akane was also able to quickly pick up   
things that Ranma hadn't been able to when she was at that stage.   
Of course she hadn't had the benefit of experiencing what   
Akane had been through the past year.   
  
She discovered that she was having fun. The Art was   
what she lived for and she enjoyed being able to pass it on.  
It was then that she discovered that she enjoyed teaching.   
She knew that it was the destiny that her father and Mister  
Tendo wanted but she never really thought about it   
happening before or that she would like it. Would ironies   
never cease?  
  
Then she sobered up as she realized that she would never   
be able to take over the dojo now. Well, she supposed she   
could still teach there but somehow that didn't seem like   
enough to her.   
  
Because that raised up too many other unsettling thoughts.  
  
She dodged a spinning reverse crescent kick and swept   
Akane's feet out from under her. Akane tried to knock down   
her sensei from her position on the ground with her legs but   
Ranma(C) had anticipated this. Mere moments later, Akane   
was locked in a full body hold that she had no hope of   
escaping from.  
  
"I didn't know you knew jujitsu," Akane gasped.  
  
"Akane, the style *is* Indiscriminate Grappling. I really   
think you should branch out more. I can see that you have a   
good background in shotokan but there are just some   
situations that require something other than straight karate.   
You got to expect the unexpected. I've had a first hand   
experience with that and I learned how to deal with it long   
before I came to Nerima."  
  
"With your father, I would certainly hope so!"  
  
They had a good laugh over that. After a few more   
minutes, Akane asked the one question that Ranma(C) had   
been afraid she'd ask. "Ranma? Will I ever be as good as   
you?"  
  
Ranma(C) uncomfortably replied, "It's highly unlikely. At   
least not as fast I did."  
  
A frown appeared on Akane's face. "Don't be like that. I   
know how your ego is but you don't have to be so obvious   
about it."  
  
"No, it's not that. It's just..." Ranma(C) hesitated for a   
moment as warring emotions flashed over her face before it   
settled down. Evidently a sore spot had been touched with   
this subject for Ranma(C)'s face suddenly shifted into that of   
lecture mode. It was rare to see it but it did exist.  
  
"It's hard to explain. Let me put it this way, almost   
everyone has the power within them to become just as   
good as me, Ryouga, the old ghoul, or any other martial artist   
you know but not everyone is. Why? Because most people   
never reach their full potential.   
  
"They simply don't have the motivation that is needed to   
keep punishing themselves day after day. To be really   
exceptional at martial arts requires a determination that most   
people don't have in them naturally. It is usually instilled by   
some sort of force that gives them their focus."  
  
Ranma(C) began pacing back and forth across the dojo.   
"Look at all the people who has come into our lives and the   
kinds of problems they had. Maybe it's just a coincidence   
that most of them wanted to kill me or somebody close to us   
but my point is that these people got power from some   
intense burning desire. Theirs just happened to be revenge."  
  
"Surely not everyone got to their level like that," Akane   
said skeptically.  
  
"Of course not. That's just one type of focus and there are   
many ways but unfortunately, the calmer, more patient kinds   
are the ones that take the longest to learn. Unfortunate for   
me because Pops found those ways weak and inefficient for   
his uses. His philosophy was one of 'what doesn't kill you   
can only make you stronger.'  
  
"That way of thinking has much of my childhood   
miserable but there is a certain logic to learning from   
hardship. I doubt I'd be as good as I am now if I hadn't lived   
the life I had or constantly had to deal with people trying to   
kill me. Though my life would probably would a lot more   
peaceful. But believe me when I say that unlike him, I believe   
there is a line between unorthodox training and just plain   
torture.  
  
"Don't get me wrong, I love the Art but Pops has made   
me give countless sacrifices in order to get where I am now.   
I had to live and breathe the art of fighting almost every day of   
my life and while I enjoy it for the most part I look around   
and I wonder sometimes."  
  
"So you're saying that if I want to be extraordinary, I have   
to be as miserable and crazy as everyone else around here?"   
Akane asked half-seriously.  
  
Ranma(C) shook her head. "I'm not saying you have to   
be miserable but you do have to be dedicated. Face it, Akane.   
You may be a good fighter and you can become even better   
but martial arts have just been something you did on a whim   
most of the time to keep in shape or to prove you're better   
than somebody or to show that you can carry on the Tendo   
school.   
  
"You may want to rethink that approach. I'm not   
condemning you as I am, in some ways, a bit envious of you.   
You have a life and you have spare time to spend with your   
friends and schoolwork and such. I never had such luxuries."  
  
"Why are you telling me all this?"  
  
The redheaded girl stepped up to Akane and seemed to   
tower over her despite her diminutive height. She said,   
"Because I don't want you to squander your life in the pursuit   
to become the best. Martial arts is my life and I'm little more   
than a fighting machine. I think you deserve more."  
  
Akane opened her mouth to say something but Ranma(C)   
raised her hand.  
  
"I didn't want to get you down with this since I really do   
think that you are making great progress. I'm just warning   
you not to try to jump too high before you're ready. It's good   
to try to reach for the stars but practice jumping for the   
clouds first then go from there.  
  
"Just because it took me only a little more than a decade   
to get to the level I'm at doesn't mean you can expect to do so   
too in that amount or less. It may take longer or not but that   
shouldn't be your whole focus."  
  
"You will be a great martial artist, Akane, but you should   
take as much time as you need so that you still have the   
chance to be a great person as well."  
  
Akane watched silently as Ranma(C) peered off to the   
side as if she was seeing something she couldn't see. "Far   
back as I can remember, I was forced to learn everything he   
taught me quickly but also perfectly or else. That's not the   
way to learn martial arts. The only reason that Pops didn't   
fail with me is because I'm eidetic. I doubt his crazy methods   
would work for anybody else. And I don't intend to try."  
  
Ranma(C) turned back to Akane and looked her in the   
eyes with a fiery expression. "If you are to be my student, I   
want to make perfectly clear that I am only going to teach  
you Musubetsu Kakuto Ryu the way I believe it should taught   
and for the reasons I think are important. Sacrifices will have to   
be made over the long haul but I promise you that you will   
never seriously be hurt by my training if I can help it."  
  
"I understand," Akane said but she knew that she never   
would completely. There was so much more that she wanted   
to say but for some reason, she couldn't. It was all too much   
for her.  
  
She looked into Ranma(C)'s eyes and realized for the first   
time that the cheerful exterior that Ranma had always put on,   
the casual facade he or she had held some inner demons under it.  
  
"That's why you were so upset about not being able to be   
happy and be a competent martial artist too," Akane   
whispered in revelation.  
  
"It doesn't matter," Ranma(C) said with a smile that didn't   
quite reach her eyes.   
  
"Yes, it does," Akane replied, her face set. "And I'll prove you  
wrong."  
  
There was an awkward moment of silence before a mock   
serious expression appeared on Ranma(C) face and her eyes   
twinkled with mischief. Ranma(C) could never stay  
depressed for long. She barked, "Well, enough jabbering!   
We've already lost five minutes we could have spent sparring.   
Get down and give me fifty!"  
  
Akane groaned but did as she was told.  
  
A few minutes later a dripping Ranma walked by wearing   
a smug smile on his face. He suddenly heard a crash and he   
turned toward the dojo to see what it was. His eyes widened   
with shock as he saw the unbelievable. He asked out loud,   
"What are you two doing?"  
  
Ranma(C) somersaulted over to him and said, "I thought   
it was kind of obvious. I was sparring with Akane here."  
  
Ranma was so startled by this statement that he just   
replied without thinking, "I guess fighting with a weak,   
uncute tomboy is better than nothing."  
  
The air around Akane's hands began to warp into a   
familiar outline as the gateway to hammerspace formed.   
Ranma(C) was about to try to prevent the inevitable when   
suddenly the gateway collapsed and vanished.   
  
Akane stared at Ranma for what seemed like a very long   
time before she said quietly as if speaking to herself, "What's   
the point? It's just not worth it right now." She turned and   
walked out of the dojo.  
  
The remaining duo just stared after her then Ranma(C)   
turned to Ranma and said snidely, "She hasn't hit you or run   
off crying. What are you going to do now?"  
  
Ranma was clearly uncomfortable as he avoided looking   
into his counterpart's eyes. "I didn't mean to say that. It just   
popped out. I just can't control my mouth sometimes."  
  
Ranma(C) grinned despite her uneasiness in talking to the   
boy. Though it was nothing official, both of them had   
avoided each other for the most part for quite a while now.   
It was the unspoken feeling that they were too similar to get   
along, aside from what had happened to them.  
  
She said, "Hey, I know that and she probably knows   
better than either of us. She'll get over it but you might want   
to stay on her good side for a while."  
  
The male pig-tailed martial artist gave her an inscrutable   
look before he nodded at her in response and walked off.  
  
Ranma(C) smiled. Maybe this would be easier than she   
had thought. She walked outside the dojo and she noticed   
the punch holes in the walls, the training equipment thrown   
everywhere, and the general devastation of the walkway.   
She sweatdropped.  
  
Maybe not.  
  
  
Ranma(C) had a strange day that day and in her life, that   
wasn't a statement to be taken lightly. Akane was perfectly   
nice and civil to Ranma, which was freaking him out to no   
end and causing him to keep insulting her, trying to evoke a   
response as they walked to school with Ranma(C) trailing   
behind. Apparently, he hadn't taken her advice but she really   
should have known better. She was him after all, wasn't she?  
  
Despite the insults, Akane would just reply with a rather   
forced smile and not say anything. Periodically, she would   
excuse herself to go around a corner. Screams of rage and the  
sounds of things being smashed would soon be heard. She   
would come back smiling and the cycle would repeat itself   
over a few minutes later.  
  
Ranma(C) silently did some calculations in her head and   
paled. Enormous amounts of property damage would be done   
before Akane would be able to control her temper.   
  
Oh well. At least she had managed to shift its focus.  
  
Ranma, Akane and Ranma(C) met Kuno in front of the   
school, which was a surprise. He had been avoiding them   
since the day he saw Ranma(C) for some reason. The rumors   
around school had it that he might have finally figured out the   
curse though not many put stock in that theory.  
  
He struck a dramatic pose and got down on his knees and   
said, "My fair goddesses whom I love dearly, I must deeply   
beg your forgiveness in depriving you of my magnificent   
presence these past few days. I have been in intense   
meditation over a serious matter that pertains to the vile   
sorcerer Saotome."  
  
Kuno paused to throw a glare out at Ranma who ignored   
it, bored. "But that is of little importance now. All I can do   
is grovel beneath your most holy of feet and await your   
decision pending my person."  
  
The trio standing in front of him looked at each other.   
Finally, Akane knelt down to Kuno and said trying not to   
laugh, "Um... Kuno, it's all right. I mean, it's only been a   
weeks or two."  
  
Ranma(C) piped in, "It's not like we moped around crying   
for you."  
  
Kuno shot straight up and his eyes blazed with excitement.   
He cried, "Oh, my lionesses! Surely within your bountiful   
bosoms beat hearts of gold. Trying to cover your fragile   
emotional states with masks of bravery in order to protect me.  
You, Akane Tendo and the pigtailed girl, are certainly the   
kindest, bravest, and fairest specimens of blighted humanity   
that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing."  
  
Akane stood there as her mind tried to absorb these words   
and to her horror actually blushed. She said, "Kuno, I don't   
know what to say."  
  
"I don't know either," Ranma said suddenly. "Are we   
talking about the same Akane? The uncute, violent one?   
The mallet-happy psychopath?"  
  
Ranma(C) stared at him in horror. Even she didn't   
understand the suicidal tendency that had just sprang up in   
her counterpart! Shaking her head in disbelief, she turned her   
gaze to Akane and had to shield her eyes from the battle aura   
she was generating. Akane seemed to be convulsing and her   
eyes were twitching. Definitely not good signs.  
  
Kuno hadn't noticed anything, as usual. He was glaring at   
Ranma with all the power he could muster and it would have   
been scary too if he hadn't been standing next to the female   
equivalent of Godzilla.  
  
He cried, "Saotome! How dare you insult fair Akane with   
your foul words? You, who are lower than the scum that   
resides under the boots of my ninja servant Sasuke! I will   
smite thee!"  
  
With a battle cry, he rushed toward the pigtailed boy with   
all the intention of causing him bodily harm. Though he had   
failed numerous times before (by the use of sorcery no   
doubt!) he would not fail this day! His love for the fair Akane   
Tendo and the pig-tailed girl would give him the strength to   
punish the knave before him. He raised his mighty sword and   
swung at his opponent's head...  
  
...Only to be hit by the force of a moving train when an   
uppercut from off to the side smashed him in the gut and   
knocked him to the ground.  
  
To his credit, the self-proclaimed samurai was still   
semi-conscious. He had enough motor control left over his   
lips to gasp out, "Why?"  
  
Akane wasn't really paying attention as she was examining   
her hand as if she had never seen it before. She looked up   
with an apologetic look on her face but just as she opened her   
mouth Ranma whistled. "Whoa, that was cruel. Even   
considering the fact that it's Kuno. I guess I can understand,   
it being you and all. Misdirected anger is such a terrible   
thing and I would know from personal experience. But hey,   
some people are naturally calm individuals while others are   
abusive tomboys who are constantly stuck in that time of the   
mon-"  
  
Ranma leaped out of the way as a mallet smashed into the   
ground where he was just standing. Akane with gritted teeth   
growled, "Ranma, I'm giving you to the count of ten to run.   
1... 2... DIE!!!"  
  
Ranma ran, of course, with Akane right on his heels as he   
screamed, "WHAT'D I SAY?!"  
  
The lone redhead sweatdropped then shrugged. Ranma   
certainly had that coming. That had been mean, even for him.   
She wondered what had brought on this new development.   
Apparently, the separation was changing them more than she   
thought as this time, she had no idea what he had been thinking.  
  
It was almost as if he had been trying to get hit but that   
was ridiculous. Wasn't it?  
  
Now, what to do about Akane. She was reasonably sure   
that Akane wouldn't break her promise but in the unlikely   
chance that she did, Ranma(C) would simply be back at   
square one and would have to do something else. Should she   
start coming up with a backup plan or did that imply a lack of   
faith in her new pupil?  
  
An aching groan caught her attention and she looked   
down at the twitching body of Tatewaki Kuno. She knelt   
down and poked him a couple times with her finger to make   
sure he was alive.  
  
"Could you please stop that?" the kendoist wheezed. "As   
much as I enjoy being under your maidenly ministrations, I   
must regretfully inform you that pain has moved somewhat   
higher on my list of priorities."  
  
Ranma(C) grinned. It appeared that Kuno had some sense   
after all. Too bad that it didn't surface more often. It was   
kind of strange. The idiot could usually take more   
punishment than that since he was beaten up pretty much on a   
daily basis. Though Akane had certainly been in rare form   
today.   
  
She got up and was about to go into the school but   
hesitated. She couldn't just leave him there! Normally, she   
wouldn't care but she had been indirectly responsible for his   
getting hurt when he didn't deserve it for once. She carefully   
weighed the pros and cons of helping Kuno and decided that   
no matter what, he was going to keep bugging her.  
  
"Stupid conscience," she muttered as she helped him to   
his feet. To his credit, he didn't start sprouting his lame   
poetry about her being an angel from heaven or some such   
stuff. She was curious about one thing though. "Hey, how   
come Nabiki ain't here? Doesn't she usually come take you   
to see the nurse?"  
  
"Bah! I don't know and I don't care. Being in your   
comforting arms is pure nirvana but I must inform you that   
the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High needs no assistance for   
anything!"  
  
"Really?" Ranma(C) drawled amused. "Let's test that   
theory."  
  
She let go of Kuno and he dropped to the ground like a   
sack of rice. Kuno clutched his stomach, smiled weakly and   
said, "I may have spoken too hastily."  
  
"It's amazing what a few weeks of not fighting can do to a   
person. What have you been doing anyway?"  
  
The smile on Kuno's face vanished and beads of sweat   
suddenly appeared on his forehead. "I have merely been   
thinking..."  
  
"About?" Ranma(C) prompted now really curious.  
  
Nabiki Tendo picked this moment to show up and she   
seemed to be in a good mood. "Sorry I'm late, Kuno-chan   
but I just closed a major deal that I've been working on for   
weeks. To make up to you, I'll give you the photos I   
developed for you at 10% off."  
  
Kuno stared at her and said, "It appears that I am living   
out Lewis Carroll's words of believing in six impossible  
things before breakfast. But I suppose I shouldn't look a gift   
horse in the mouth. I gladly accept your offer, Nabiki   
Tendo."  
  
Ranma(C)'s reaction was drastically different. Her blood   
was boiling as she realized what kind of pictures Nabiki was   
offering to Kuno. After what had happened and in front of   
her no less!  
  
She tore the envelope from Nabiki's hands and glared at   
her. "I can't believe you! I guess you really are heartless   
aren't you? It's just business as usual for you, huh? It   
doesn't matter to you in the least what I've been through as   
long as you make a profit out of it."   
  
Ranma(C) was shaking with barely contained anger. "I've   
overlooked you taking pictures of me before because I knew it   
was for a good cause but now it's just cruel! I certainly hope   
that these pictures were worth selling me out for!"  
  
The redhead ripped the envelope open to reveal the   
horrifying pictures of... Kuno. They were all pictures of   
Tatewaki Kuno swinging his bokken around as he fought   
various people wearing kendo uniforms or of him bearing   
poses of victory.  
  
"As you can see," Nabiki said frostily, "I was taking   
pictures of Kuno at one of his annual kendo tournaments to   
sell to him later. Though I could see how some people could   
find them to be rather scandalous."  
  
Ranma(C) started babbling, "Um... uh... Okay, I know this   
looks bad and I am really sorry. I didn't mean it! Well, I did   
but that was only because I thought that..."  
  
Nabiki interrupted, "That I was a heartless mercenary who   
had no problem selling out their family when they're going   
through a hard time for a few measly yen?"  
  
A brief flicker of hurt appeared in her eyes but   
disappeared so quickly that Ranma(C) couldn't have been   
certain it was there. Nabiki continued, "I can hardly blame   
you as I can see where you are coming from. But I suggest   
that in the future you get your facts straight before getting   
into any confrontations. I know this from experience."  
  
Nabiki turned to go but paused in mid-step. She said in  
a perfectly cool and level voice, "One more thing, Saotome.   
You don't have to worry about any wrathful retributions from   
me. Like I said, I'm in a good mood and besides, it was an   
honest mistake. Anyone would have done the same."  
  
With that, she dragged a confused Kuno off with her as   
Ranma(C) stared after her, a feeling of guilt weighing her   
down.   
  
It had been an honest mistake but Nabiki was right that   
she should have gotten her facts straight first. She didn't  
exactly handle the situation with tactfulness and subtlety.  
  
What had caused her to blow up like that? The answer  
came to her like a bolt of lightning. She had never cared  
before because the pictures had never really been of her, no  
*his* body. It was just the curse and like she claimed so many  
times, she had no feminine modesty. Seeing how the pictures  
were never truly indecent, how the money helped keep the   
dojo afloat, and the fact that only Kuno was stupid enough to   
risk buying those photos (Ranma made darn sure of that!),   
Ranma never really tried his best to get Nabiki to stop.  
  
But now it was different.  
  
It didn't excuse what she did to Nabiki though. That   
thought sent her crashing back to reality as she was forced to   
deal with that statement. Ranma(C) ran over what just   
happened a few minutes ago in her mind. Wait a minute!  
  
Family? Nabiki actually considered her family?   
  
The most surprising thing about that was it indicated that  
Nabiki actually cared about her feelings. After all the times   
she had been exploited, it was understandable that this would   
come as a shock. But now that she thought about it, Nabiki   
didn't treat him all that differently from the rest of the family,   
Kasumi excepted, of course. If Nabiki had really disliked her,   
she would have made it quite plain long ago. In fact, now that  
she thought about it, she even got the family discount!   
  
The lone martial artist just stared for a moment as she   
tried to comprehend the fact that Nabiki liked her by   
exploiting her instead of just treating her with complete   
indifference. Then she came back to earth and smacked   
herself on the forehead.  
  
"Why in the world did I do that?!"  
  
She had done the one thing that made her no better than   
all the rivals, fiancees, and acquaintances she had: She had   
jumped to a *conclusion* without all the facts. The fact that   
she had done it so easily made her all the more depressed.   
Sure Nabiki had the whole Ice Queen image going around but   
that was no excuse. Ranma(C) knew better than anyone that   
a person was more than what their supposed reputation made   
them out to be. She should have remembered that.  
  
Nabiki wasn't that bad most of the time. She was actually   
an interesting person to hang around until money entered the   
picture and then all bets were off. But her cool demeanor   
sometimes got Ranma(C) to forget that she had feelings too.   
Sure, Nabiki singled him out a lot and almost never   
considered his feelings but that was just who she was. To her,   
it was strictly business. That didn't make the things she did   
right but it did put things in perspective.   
  
"So much for my new start," Ranma(C) muttered to   
herself. And here she thought that she was becoming a better   
person.  
  
Suddenly, before her eyes, an eruption of orange flame   
came out of the Home Ec room on the third floor.  
  
"AKANE!" 


	5. Inevitable Chaos, Part I

funvince@hotmail.com  
http://www.angelfire.com/anime2/ranmanexus/ranmaweb/splits.html  
  
I know my grammar is atrocious and that I ramble on and on for  
no discernible reason! Stop hounding me! I'm just trying to tell a  
story here! WAAHH!!!  
  
Ahem. Now that's out of my system, let's get on with the story.  
  
The characters of the Ranma 1/2 universe are the creation of  
the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi. Quite frankly, I believe that   
fanfictions are exactly what Takahashi had in mind when she   
created the ending she did so why should we fear reprisals? She   
should be thanking us! Only if she wants to, of course... :)  
  
***********************************************  
  
THE SPLITTING: A RANMA 1/2 FANFICTION  
  
CHAPTER V: INEVITABLE CHAOS, PART I  
  
By Vincent Nguyen  
  
***********************************************  
  
-Chapter 5-  
  
Suddenly, before her eyes an eruption of orange flame came out   
of a room that was on the third floor. Ranma(C) watched in shock   
for a moment before she heard the screams. Akane! Ranma(C)  
immediately ran toward the school and without a thought, she   
instantly bounded off a tree branch toward the new hole in the wall.   
  
Before she reached it, a flash of light suddenly blinded her. She   
swore silently to herself as she fought to stabilize her flight through   
the air, hoping she wouldn't crash into anything. Blinking furiously   
in an attempt to speed up her gradually returning eyesight, she failed   
to notice the figure that was blown out of the hole. Or the flash of a   
red shirt launching out after it or the black blur that followed.   
  
Once she landed within the classroom, she got her bearings and   
glanced around. There was panic and confusion everywhere. Some   
of the students were injured and the teacher appeared to be in shock.   
Ranma's eyes went toward the center of the room and gained an   
expression of worry. There was a large burning fire in the vicinity of   
the stoves and many of the students were trying to put out this fire   
and the other small fires that littered the room with fire extinguishers.  
  
It doesn't look like they need my help, Ranma(C) thought as she   
turned away to find someone who could tell her what happened.   
  
KABOOM! Ranma(C) was blown off her feet and flung into a wall.   
When she peeled herself off, she muttered groggily, "Looks like I   
spoke too soon."  
  
The large burning fire from before was now a BIG, scorching   
inferno! The smarter students immediately vacated the room; a few   
good Samaritans stopped to drag the injured would-be firefighters   
out of the room. The rest stood there not sure what to do.  
  
Ranma(C) quickly marched up the teacher and shook her gently.   
She didn't reply and the martial artist knew she had to try stronger   
measures. The resounding slap she gave replaced the glazed look in   
the teacher's eyes with one of outrage. "How dare you-"  
  
"We don't have time for that," Ranma(C) cut in. "You have to get   
these kids out of here. Now!"  
  
Seeing the fire, the woman nodded and proceeded to order those  
who hadn't left to stop what he or she was doing and calmly leave   
the room. When they were gone, Ranma(C) walked up almost to the   
edge of the fire and closed her eyes. This wasn't some small kitchen   
fire; she couldn't afford to be lax in putting it out.  
  
"Soul of Ice," Ranma(C) said quietly to herself as she   
concentrated on her aura. Within a few moments, the temperature   
around her dropped quite suddenly, but the fire raged on. Ranma(C)   
took a deep breath, heedful not to inhale too much smoke, and   
focused on the swirling heat, trying to fill the cold space around her.   
"Just a little more," she whispered as the energy coalesced on her   
body.  
  
Finally, as she opened her eyes and launched a blazing uppercut,   
she said three simple words. Words that would chill any who   
understood the power behind them. "Hiryuu Shoten Ha!"  
  
A surge of wind erupted seemingly out of nowhere, expanding  
rapidly from the center where Ranma(C) stood, trying to reach for  
freedom. All the papers, pots and pans, and objects that weren't   
nailed down were swept up into the powerful wind currents.  
  
The fire flickered out of existence, smothered by a force even   
greater than it was. Once Ranma(C) saw this, she immediately   
struggled to contain the forces around her and snuff it out.   
  
Since she was the one fueling this mini-tornado, it was simply   
a matter of powering down. It was harder than she thought it   
would be but she managed it. After that, Ranma(C) breathed a   
sigh of relief. She hadn't been sure if she could control the   
amount of wind generated or if she could even get rid of it. It   
certainly wouldn't have looked good on her record if  
she destroyed the school! Any more than usual, anyway.  
  
Ranma(C) smiled in pride. Being a martial artist wasn't just about   
punching and kicking like some believed. Those things could be   
used that way but those same skills when redirected could get so  
many other things done for the better. She simply had a wider   
repertoire to work with.   
  
She looked around what she now realized was the Home Ec room   
and frowned. Some of the students were bunched around the doorway,   
probably so they could watch her in action. She tried to find somebody   
she recognized to pump for answers.  
  
She was scanning her eyes over the room when a girl with long   
brown hair ran up to her. "Ranma?"  
  
"Ukyou?" Ranma(C) asked trying to hide her surprise at seeing   
Ukyou wearing a girl's Furinkan High uniform. Ukyou did do that   
from time to time but it was always a shock to her. But there were   
more important matters to consider. "Ukyou, what happened?"  
  
"I'm not sure," the chef replied. "Ranma and Akane were arguing   
as usual when some sort of black, swirling portal just appeared out   
of nowhere! Then some kind of creature popped out and it *looked*  
human but it was completely black and I'm talking space black here.   
It was like looking at a shadow!"  
  
She took a breath then continued, "I turned to grab my throwing   
spatulas when all of a sudden, there was this blinding light and I   
couldn't see anything! It must have been the portal disappearing.   
Anyway, that jackass must have started blasting ki balls or   
something because this place is really a mess."  
  
Ranma(C) glanced around and saw that the room had definitely   
seen better days. The walls were cracked or pocketed with holes and   
some of the stoves had even been completely destroyed. Sections of  
the classroom had just simply collapsed allowing Ranma(C) to not only  
see into the hall but into the demolished remains of other classrooms!  
  
She didn't know how extensive the damage was or how far it went   
and she didn't have time to find out. Her mind was telling her that she   
was forgetting something important but she didn't know what it was.  
  
She spotted a pile of ashes and twisted metal by the gap in the   
wall. She whistled in appreciation then asked, "Isn't that Akane's   
stove? What happened to it? Did that thing shoot a fireball at it or   
something?"  
  
Ukyou rolled her eyes then said sarcastically, "Of course not.   
Nothing like that. Akane just touched the stove and it blew up."  
  
"Knowing Akane, just *walking* by a kitchen appliance would   
cause it to explode," Ranma(C) joked. Then she thought about it.   
Where *was* Akane?  
  
Ranma(C) and Ukyou looked at each other. They yelled   
simultaneously, "Akane!"  
  
They both leapt out the hole down to the front of the school   
where a sizeable crowd had already gathered around something.   
Pushing through the mass of bodies, Ranma(C) spotted Miss Hinako   
and headed toward her. What she saw made her gasp.   
  
The sometimes child teacher was kneeling over the unconscious   
and severely burnt body of Akane Tendo. The school uniform she   
wore was in tatters. Her skin was red and covered in blisters. Some   
of the bluish hair on the left side of her head was either singed or not  
there at all.   
  
Ranma(C) just stared silently and thought that Akane was going to   
be furious when she saw what happened to her hair. Wait a minute,   
what was she thinking?!  
  
Almost in an unbelieving daze, Ranma(C) immediately kneeled   
down and just stared at Akane, her hands hovering near her as if   
they didn't know what to do. Finally, no longer caring about the   
possible consequences, Ranma(C) placed Akane's head on her lap.  
For some reason, this action rebooted the higher functions of her   
brain and some of the shock she felt dissipated.  
  
How could this have happened? She couldn't comprehend this.   
The world had gone crazy somehow when she wasn't paying   
attention. Because in the world she knew, she would have been  
around to stop this like she always was. Damn it, why wasn't she  
there?!   
  
Looking down at Akane, Ranma(C)'s mind was flooded with   
sensory information a normal person wouldn't have been able to   
detect by just looking. Akane's heartbeat was erratic and her ki   
levels were extremely low. Fortunately, Akane appeared to be   
breathing in a regular fashion and didn't seem to be in any   
immediate danger. But seeing her like this, so pale and helpless,   
tugged at something inside Ranma(C) and she grew angry.   
  
"That bastard!" she breathed. She didn't know who or what had   
done it to Akane yet but she knew that it would pay dearly. She   
immediately wanted to go find the monster and beat the living tar out   
of it but she had to make sure that Ak- everyone else was okay first.  
  
She gave a silent thanks to Doctor Tofu for insisting that she   
learn more about pressure points and their potential for healing after   
some of the incidents and accidents she had been in. She took that   
knowledge to ensuring that Akane's condition stayed stable until   
help could arrive.  
  
Ranma(C) tenderly set Akane to the ground and stood up.   
Turning to Miss Hinako and reining in her fury, she asked in what   
she thought was a calm and quiet voice, "Where are they?"  
  
Maybe her voice wasn't very calm and quiet as Miss Hinako   
instantly fell over. She pushed herself back onto her small feet and   
pointed to the sports field. "Mister Saotome managed to lure that   
dreadful creature over there away from the rest of us."  
  
Ranma(C) nodded her head in thanks and with a determined look   
on her face set out for the field. But then someone grabbed her   
shoulder and she had to smother the reflex to flip that person over her   
shoulder into the nearest wall. She saw that it was Ukyou who had a   
concerned expression on her face.   
  
"Are you all right?" Ukyou asked.  
  
"Why wouldn't I be? Akane's a tough girl. This is nothing   
compared to what she's been through before," Ranma(C) replied   
trying to hide her worry and smiling lamely.   
  
Ukyou dropped the arm she was holding and said, "Go do what   
you have to do but please try to keep your head, Ranchan. You have   
enough dents in it as it is." She smiled at her last comment.  
  
"Okay, Ucchan," Ranma(C) turned to go but hesitated. "About   
what we talked about before, I just wanted to say-"  
  
A hand was gently placed over the redhead's mouth. Ukyou said   
softly, "We can talk about that later, sugar. We *do* have a situation   
here." Ranma(C) didn't reply but ran off quickly.  
  
There were many students at the field watching the fight but also   
trying to keep a safe distance away from it. The battle on the field   
was barely comprehensible to the normal eye at the speed it was   
going at. The two combatants were kicking up dirt at a hair raising   
pace as they fought their way across the field.   
  
Ranma(C) could barely keep down the urge to join them. She knew   
from personal experience that Ranma would do better without   
hindrance. She knew him and she knew herself. Two Ranmas would   
get in the way of each other. Despite this knowledge, she seethed   
silently as she wanted to be the one doing some ass-kicking. She   
forced herself on focusing to see what was going on and if and when   
it became necessary for her to jump in.  
  
Facing her was one of the strangest monsters she had ever seen   
and she had seen plenty. The monster was a black humanoid that   
towered over Ranma by two feet. The best way to describe it would   
be as a golem but with no readily distinguishable features. Though   
that was uncertain as the thing was nothing but a blur.   
  
Uncomfortably, Ranma(C) realized that whatever it was it appeared   
to have the speed and agility of well, Ranma. Ukyou's term of shadow   
really did fit well. It really was as dark as the void and while human in   
form, that was where the resemblance ended.   
  
To her immense shock, it seemed to be going badly for her   
counterpart. Ranma was fighting the monstrosity in a beserker rage,   
but the thing simply dodged every move thrown at it. It was like   
fighting a slippery, elusive shadow and every bob and weave seemed   
to only increase Ranma's frustration. Ranma(C) would have mistaken   
him for Ryouga if she hadn't known better!   
  
This had to be a cosmic irony of some sort, Ranma(C) thought idly   
as she watched fascinated having never seen a real fight from this   
angle. Then she took a hold of herself as she realized that if Ranma   
didn't shape up fast and regain control he'd be toast. It was rare that   
Ranma got really mad but when he did, he actually got worse and the   
shadow creature was capitalizing on that advantage.  
  
Ranma finally got back on the ball but he was already actually   
bleeding from numerous wounds and he was breathing hard but the   
shadowman was not giving him any time to recover or to charge up   
his special techniques. At least he wasn't receiving any new   
wounds but he wasn't giving out any either.  
  
A groan interrupted Ranma(C)'s attention and she turned back and   
saw Akane being supported by Ukyou as she tried to walk toward the   
field. Immediately pushing down her shock that Akane was even  
awake much less walking, Ranma(C) cried, "What are you doing?   
You shouldn't even be standing up or be anywhere near here!"  
  
Akane tried to glare at her but the expression quickly turned into a   
grimace as she tried to control the immense pain she was feeling. She   
gasped out, "I'm not leaving you behind. Either of you."  
  
Ukyou quickly chimed in, "She kept struggling to get up and I   
thought that if she came here she would stop trying to hurt herself."  
  
Ranma(C) didn't blame Ukyou as she knew Akane was too   
stubborn for her own good, but frankly she was annoyed that she   
had to deal with this. She looked for an opening that she could take   
to hit one of Akane's sleep points.  
  
"Don't. Even. Think. About. It." Akane said in a voice that   
brooked no argument. Ranma(C) sighed. It probably wouldn't be   
good for Akane to be unconscious right now since it was possible   
that she sustained a concussion. But why wouldn't she leave?  
That uncute tomboy!  
  
Ranma(C) turned her focus back to the battle. It appeared that   
Ranma was trying to do a Hiryuu Shoten Ha but the thing was too   
fast and Ranma(C) knew how difficult it was to concentrate on   
dodging and maintaining a Soul of Ice under normal circumstances.   
The fact that the thing wasn't even giving off a battle aura made the   
tactic nothing more than a desperation move. Or was it?  
  
Wait a minute. Was Ranma giving off hot ki?  
  
  
This thing was tough!   
  
Ranma was forced to actually block the incoming blows as the   
apparition began to match his speed. This was disconcerting, as he   
had to drop some of his showier dodges and jumps to take the fight   
more seriously. Ranma was primarily a defensive fighter, but he could   
see a more effective strategy was going to be needed.   
  
Blocking was beginning to get painful as his limbs impacted   
against the rocklike armor of the shadow. What was this thing made   
of? It seemed to be made out of some material that was as tough as   
and resembled obsidian, but unlike a stone it was too yielding and   
moved and reacted so much like human flesh and bone.  
  
Whatever the case, Ranma decided that he better back off. He   
needed to get some breathing room in order to warm up his special   
techniques. This thing was just too fast! There were times when he   
really missed his girl half!  
  
He needed something that would bring down his opponent quickly   
and for good. The Hiryuu Shoten Ha was perfect. Not only was it   
one of his most powerful moves but it worked on pretty much   
everybody. There was a flaw though; the shadow didn't give off any   
aura at all and Ranma doubted that taunting it would do any good.  
  
It was very unnerving to fight an opponent that was completely   
silent, that didn't yell or boast or trade barbs. Never had Ranma met   
someone that was so focused on killing him. Even extremely   
single-minded rivals like Ryouga had nothing on this guy. And he   
didn't even know why it was after him! That thought made him angry   
and he knew what he had to do.  
  
He started the spiral slowly gaining speed as the creature took the   
bait being offered it.  
  
That bastard hurt Akane! Ranma thought to himself. He hurt   
innocent people in order to get to me. He attacked in a cowardly   
fashion instead of just asking for a fight. Doesn't even have the   
decency to tell me why he wants to kill me. He almost killed Akane!  
  
Rage began to fill him as more thoughts filled him, some of them   
not even relevant to the situation at hand. It was as if a cork had been   
popped off as a floodgate of repressed anger bubbled to the surface.   
  
...Kuno always glomping on me...  
  
...Fiancees never leaving me alone...  
  
...Ryouga, Mousse, *everybody* always blaming me for   
something...  
  
...That Sanzein bastard kissing me...  
  
...The Nekoken training...  
  
...Jusenkyo...  
  
...Phoenix Mountain...  
  
He began to imagine every wrong, every embarrassment that had   
ever happened to him and the aura around him glowed a dark red.  
  
He was almost to the center. "HIRYUU SHOTEN-"  
  
In a certain burst of speed, the shadowman launched out a punch   
so fast Ranma felt it before he saw it and was knocked several meters   
away.  
  
Ranma groaned in agony. He felt like he had been hit by a semi.   
When did that thing get so fast all of a sudden? The answer that   
came to his mind chilled him. It must have been playing with him.   
Ranma pushed himself up and saw that the apparition was rapidly   
dashing toward him.  
  
"MOKO TAKABISHA!"  
  
The ki ball that blasted from Ranma's hands flew rapidly toward the   
shadow but to Ranma's shock, the shadow simply dodged it and shot   
out a black fireball of its own. Ranma barely managed to jump out of   
the way and as it was he got his clothes lightly singed. He quickly   
checked behind him and saw that the fireball had demolished a tree   
and had harmed no one.  
  
An almost whistling sound was all he heard before his body   
instinctively jumped over a barrage of fireballs passed under him.   
What the hell?! Where was this thing getting the energy to do this?   
It just kept generating more of those black balls and it didn't show any   
signs of slowing down.  
  
  
Ranma(C) had her own problems to deal with as she had to shoot   
down every fireball that came her way before it could harm anyone.   
She had shot off more ki blasts in the last five minutes than she had   
ever done in her entire life since she had learned the technique.  
  
"Double Moko Takabisha!"  
  
It was even more draining when she had to simultaneously shoot   
out two ki balls in order to down as many projectiles as possible. She   
took a quick glance behind her and saw that Hinako and many others   
was trying to herd the student body away from the fight and away   
from the fireballs.  
  
"Pigtailed girl!"   
  
A groan came from Ranma(C)'s lips. She didn't have time for this!   
"What is it, Kuno? Can't you see that I'm a little busy?!"  
  
Kuno was unflappable as always. "I apologize for my tardiness,   
pig-tailed girl. Parts of the school had caved in and honor dictated   
that I stay and lend aid to those in need. But I am here now, my fierce   
warrior maiden! No doubt that the mighty prowess of Tatewaki Kuno   
will send this demon spawn back into the darkest regions of hell from   
whence it came! I, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan-"  
  
"Akane!"  
  
Kuno and Ranma(C) both turned toward the shout and saw Nabiki   
standing a few feet away from her younger sister, apparently frozen in   
a state of shock. Her jaw was dropped and a look of horror was on her   
face.  
  
"Hi, Nabiki," Akane greeted with a wan smile. "It's not as bad as it   
looks. I mean-"  
  
Her next words was lost as Nabiki had teleported alongside her   
younger sister and was now crushing the body of said girl in a   
bone-crunching hug. Her short brown hair covered her face from view   
but there was no way to disguise the sobs that were involuntarily   
erupting from her body.  
  
"Don't cry, oneechan. I'm okay, really," Akane said trying to hide   
her pain and failing. "Could you please loosen your grip? I can't   
breathe."  
  
Whatever else Nabiki may be, whatever else people said about her   
behind her back, she was still a Tendo. A Tendo who had just been   
through an intense emotional crisis without any control whatsoever   
over the situation. Which meant...   
  
The sobbing just increased in volume.  
  
"WAAHH!!! MY BABY SISTER'S BEEN SCORCHED BY   
A MONSTER!!!"  
  
Soun Tendo would have been proud.  
  
Instinctively moving back from the human gusher even though   
water no longer affected her, Ranma(C) peered at Nabiki curiously.   
Nabiki had never lost her composure like this. Keeping a careful eye   
for any more stray fireballs, Ranma(C) said to Kuno, "I don't want to   
sound mean or anything but this isn't like Nabiki. She's never even   
shed a tear all those times Akane was kidnapped so why would she   
start now?"  
  
The kendoist's face was pale and Ranma(C) realized that he hadn't   
known about Akane's injuries. Kuno turned to her and said shakily,   
"Because Akane Tendo has never been injured before. Not in any of   
our previous experiences has such a travesty occurred."   
  
With a start, Ranma(C) realized that Kuno was right. Looking   
over at Nabiki, she suddenly understood. Nabiki Tendo was a woman   
who dealt in concrete realities. Nabiki had never even participated in   
most of the chaos in Nerima but only heard about it secondhand.   
  
Kidnappings by people in flying ships or by human-bird hybrids   
was something she could easily shrug off as too unreal to be really   
dangerous. But here was a reality that was simply too much to ignore.   
Apparently, that made all the difference.  
  
Suddenly, Nabiki raised her head and there was a murderous look   
in her eyes. She gently pushed Akane aside and began stalking   
toward the field. She ignored the cries from the others and focused   
entirely on her goal of revenge. Something inside her mind told her   
she was being crazy but she paid it no attention.  
  
A flash of blue appeared before her eyes. It settled into the figure   
of a concerned Kuno. Nabiki just stared at him then said, "Kuno,   
move. You're in my way." There was no anger or annoyance in her   
voice. She sounded like she was on a way to a picnic and had just   
discovered a roadblock keeping her from proceeding.  
  
Kuno slowly shook his head. "Nay, Nabiki Tendo. I can not allow   
you to pass. You are not thinking clearly."  
  
This got a reaction of her. Nabiki gave a short laugh before   
replying, "*I'm* not thinking clearly? That's a hoot coming from you,   
Kuno-chan."  
  
"Please return to your sister. Going out there would only mean your  
death and even I would not wish such a fate upon you."  
  
Nabiki gave him a curious look. "Why are you trying to stop me?   
I would have thought you of all people would be willing to join me."  
  
"Giving up one's life needlessly does nothing but prevent them   
from doing any good in the future. I would be lying if I said that I   
wouldn't like anything better than to pay that monstrosity back for his   
heinous crimes, but I know that I would not last a minute out there."  
  
"That is rather surprising of you to admit," Nabiki said. She took a  
deep breath and stood in thought. Finally, she roused herself and   
said in a sheepish tone, "I guess I wasn't thinking there for a moment.   
Okay, let's go back."  
  
Kuno felt extremely relieved. He turned to escort Nabiki back and   
felt a fist impact him in the jaw. Staggering back, more from shock   
than anything, he watched as Nabiki zoomed toward the field.  
  
Sighing in exasperation, Kuno easily caught up with the Tendo girl   
and tackled her from behind.  
  
"LET GO OF ME!!!" Nabiki screamed as she squirmed frantically   
trying to get free. Kuno held on with an iron grip, born from months   
of practice. "Regain your senses, woman! If... you can not... even get   
past me... how on earth... will you even get a chance... to get near...   
that thing?"  
  
"I don't care!" Nabiki cried as she continued to thrash wildly. "I've   
always made sure Akane was safe!" Then she went limp as she   
collapsed to the ground, her energy spent. "Ever since Mother died, I   
kept an eye on her to make sure she was okay. When Ranma came, I   
let him handle things when I wasn't around because I knew he could   
protect Akane in ways I couldn't. But I never stopped looking out for   
her. Now, let me go!"  
  
"Such devotion to a family member is admirable," Kuno whispered   
as Nabiki resumed her mad attempts to get free. "That is why I can   
not allow you to do this." With that pronouncement, he tapped the   
back of her neck.  
  
Ranma(C) had been watching the exchange silently, afraid to leave  
her post. When Nabiki fell unconscious, she closed her eyes for  
just a second and wished she had someone who cared that much   
about her. The Tendos weren't a perfect family but they were a hell  
of a lot better than her own.  
  
Before more thought could be devoted to this, her eyes snapped  
open and she spotted another round of fireballs headed her way.   
  
  
Ranma's mind was on overdrive as he raced through his list of   
attacks for something that would slow the monster down. Standard   
Anything Goes was proving to be surprisingly ineffective against a   
creature that adapted almost as fast as he did and was fast enough to   
counter most of his blows. The blows he did get in were strong   
enough to even cripple Ryouga but the creature barely reacted at all.  
  
The implications of that were terrifying. Ranma pushed that   
thought aside as he considered his options.  
  
Hiryuu Shoten Ha? Already tried and failed due to amazing speed   
of the shadow. The variations he had created depended on factors  
not present now.  
  
Chestnut Fist? Already in use on his entire body just so he could   
keep up with his opponent and even then, the shadow managed to   
block all his high-speed punches.  
  
Moko Takabisha? Not feeling too confident at the moment,   
especially after what happened the last few times he tried it. Also,   
was it his imagination or were the ki blasts not as strong as they  
usually were?  
  
Forbidden Techniques? Possibility. Basic sets would be ineffective   
against nonhuman opponents though and the advanced techniques   
need preparation time he didn't have.  
  
Nekoken? No cats, couldn't afford to be mindless right now, and   
he wasn't that desperate yet!  
  
Saotome Secret Technique? And go where exactly? Not even a   
consideration even if was alone.  
  
The creature gave him no more time for thought as it rapidly fired   
off a dozen black fireballs one after the other. Ranma had his hands   
full in trying to dodge each of them and not get hit. Damn it! It's   
Saffron all over again! But at least this thing couldn't fly (not at the  
moment anyway) and the fireballs it was shooting were no larger than   
a standard ki ball. Certainly not up to the Phoenix Prince's standards.  
  
But if that thing has any regenerative abilities, I'm in deep trouble,   
Ranma thought. But the way things are going now, it certainly   
doesn't need any! I got to create some openings if I'm going to get   
any blows in.   
  
  
Minutes, hours went by, she didn't know how long. She didn't   
know how many ki balls she was shooting out, but she had long   
stopped shouting out the name of her attack to conserve energy and   
breath. Her arms felt like lead and her body felt like it was on fire.  
  
She could run marathons, fight nonstop for days, survive tortures  
devised by the best tormenters(1), and even swim an ocean's length  
between two countries, but there was only so much life force she   
could give out. Also, was it her imagination or was her supply of ki  
energy just a little lower than it normally was?  
  
Must keep going, Ranma(C) thought as she struggled to summon   
the ki to shoot.  
  
The energy began to coalesce between her hands, but it was being   
generated way too slowly. Over ten fireballs were heading her way   
but thanks to her efforts most of the students had gotten to safe   
ground or back within the school. She didn't have the power to save   
herself though.   
  
I guess this is how it's going to be. Always figured that I would go  
out fighting. At least I'm only a copy. I hope Ranma survives. For   
Akane's sake...  
  
She pushed herself to her knees, trying to remember when she had  
fallen down. She would die on her feet even if she couldn't go off in   
the body she was born with. A sad thought flickered through her   
mind. Is there a place for poor souls who aren't actually real?  
  
But as she watched, the objects of her doom vanished one by one   
as they appeared to have slammed into some invisible barrier.  
  
*Ki shield.* Ranma(C) thought in wonder as she realized what   
happened.  
  
A shadow loomed over her. Then two hands grabbed her right   
wrist and a surge of energy flowed through her.  
  
"You can rest briefly, daughter in law," Cologne said.  
  
Even as a girl I can't escape those crazy Amazons, Ranma(C)   
thought as she flopped to the ground but she was grinning in relief   
all the same. But she couldn't afford to rest.   
  
She propped herself on her elbow and yelled, "Ranma! You're   
going to have to get closer if you want to beat this thing!"  
  
Ignoring the pain and weariness racking her body, she tried to   
get to her feet. Ranma was outmatched here, as loath as she was to   
admit it, and she needed to help him out. Straining with all her   
might and concentration, she slowly lifted herself off the ground.  
  
Suddenly, she lost all control of her limbs and her body dropped   
back onto the grass. Her overtaxed nervous system no longer obeyed   
her commands but at least her head landed in a position facing the field.   
Whether this was a good thing or not was arguable.  
  
  
Ranma couldn't keep on dodging those shadowballs forever.   
There were too many bystanders and there was no indication that the   
shadowman was going to run out of energy anytime soon.   
Ranma(C)'s yell for him to get into closer range confirmed his   
thoughts.   
  
He would take more hits moving in but the threat of fireballs would   
be neutralized as any attempt in such close quarters would only result   
in an explosion that would damage both of them. There was the   
chance that the creature couldn't care less about itself as long as it   
finished its objective of killing him but Ranma's instincts told him that   
this thing was more than simply a walking time bomb. He decided to   
trust them as he had many times before.  
  
Diving back in for hand-to-hand combat, Ranma discovered he was   
right as the shadow immediately stopped its barrage of fireballs, but   
the bruises he was getting from the punches and kicks he couldn't   
block wasn't exactly helping his case.  
  
His continuous flowing movement was the only thing keeping him   
out of the creature's grasp. The shadow was fast, faster than him, but   
it lacked the fluidity and the ease of movement that he had. Even so,   
in the midst of battle, he had to struggle to stay loose and relaxed to   
maintain this slight advantage. He couldn't afford to have his mind   
clouded.  
  
Ranma was still at risk as the thing appeared to be slowly adapting   
to the Saotome-ryu, which was extremely frightening as the style was   
created to be unpredictable just to prevent that from happening. Or   
maybe... it was adapting to him.  
  
Whatever the case, as he fought he knew that he was losing   
ground. Already his lungs and his body were beginning to feel the   
strain. He never had to hold up such immense speeds for such a   
sustained period of time. Real fights never lasted so long. As any   
athlete knows, anaerobic capacity simply wasn't built for long time   
use and as high as his was, even he had a limit.  
  
What could he do? That thing was just as fast and strong if not   
more so than he was. There were no tricks he could depend on this   
time to get out of this mess. He got many blows in but apparently not   
enough to do any real damage. The fact that the thing never showed   
any sign of pain made him more formidable than Ryouga.   
  
Ranma knew that he would never give up as long as there was any   
fight left within his body but it didn't look like he would win this one.   
He also didn't believe that he would be allowed to walk out on his   
merry way either.  
  
*Think of the solution, not the problem.(2)*  
  
Ranma blinked momentarily in confusion. Where had that thought   
come from? It didn't sound like him but what it said made sense.   
  
He gritted his teeth as he realized what he had been doing. What   
was this talk of losing? He was Ranma Saotome! He never lost a   
battle, not when it counted. Herb, Saffron, Pantyhose Taro were   
nothing compared to him!  
  
He had trained in the Art ever since he learned to walk, been   
schooled in practically every martial arts style ever devised, learned   
from dozens of real, qualified masters. Was he going to give up now   
to this martial artist wannabe?!   
  
Now since that was settled, he better come up with a plan. But  
first, he needed to determine why he was losing. The small corner   
of his mind that wasn't focused exclusively on the fight began to  
churn frantically for ideas.  
  
A dim memory of a conversation Ranma had once had with his   
father on their training trip together popped into his head.  
  
Genma had once told Ranma that his Master had once explained   
that simply melding different styles together would make the school   
too unwieldy and uncohesive. That was why many eclectic martial   
styles simply wouldn't work in the real world.   
  
Anything Goes was a mesh of the best of any martial arts style put   
together in such a way as to uphold the principles and effectiveness   
of the ways for which the various techniques were designed. This   
gave Anything Goes great combat flexibility combined with deep   
philosophical underpinnings.   
  
The end result was that Musubetsu Kakuto Ryu was best used for   
aerial combat and any fights that called for the massive use of speed,   
strength, and agility in order to pound the opponent into the   
pavement and neutralize the threat. This was what made the system   
so successful in *real* fights.  
  
Ranma suddenly realized what his problem was. He was using   
Anything Goes to try to get a quick knockout and that was his   
mistake. It was true that in a real fight one tried to pound the other   
into submission as quickly as possible before the deranged psycho   
could kill them but in this case that simply wasn't working. Treating   
this like a fight against a human, which this thing obviously was not,   
was causing him to be too predictable if not in his techniques then in   
his way of thinking. He was limiting himself with this mode of   
attacking.  
  
At the moment, Ranma needed to slow down and think things   
through. Sometimes force simply wasn't enough. He needed to shift   
back into skills that relied more on cunning, redirection, and fluidity   
rather than brute force and strength. He needed to be more subtle.   
That thought struck a chord in him somehow.  
  
To buy more time to formulate a plan, he jumped to the roof of the   
school and once he landed kept on running knowing with certainty   
that his adversary would follow. Not only did he need to plan his next   
step he desperately needed a breather. As his feet pounded over the   
surface, he allowed his mind to wander, to seek out anything that   
would help in this situation.  
  
A faint memory suddenly popped into his head. Before he knew it,   
he was no longer a teenage boy fighting for his life but a child again   
watching the current master his father had left him with standing over   
the unconscious body of a fat oaf while delivering a lecture.   
  
*Ranma, as you can see, speed and strength are not everything.   
Sometimes it comes down to who is more skilled.*  
  
*I don't know, sensei. I've seen a lot of fights. A guy who's good   
can beat up just about anybody. But what if he fights somebody   
who's good *and* fast? Wouldn't he beat you? Just being skilled   
can't make up everything.*  
  
*That's true to a certain extent. But reaction time can be slowed,   
eyes can be distracted. Being faster and being skilled doesn't   
necessary mean being smarter. Intelligence is always the key to a   
successful battle and that only works if you control what's going on.*   
  
*You have to bring the fight to your level. Fighting by your   
opponent's rules is suicide. Survival is your goal here. A street   
fighter who knows no formal martial arts will often defeat those who   
are even expertly trained in their discipline. It is experience of the   
street fighter that makes up for their supposed disadvantage.*  
  
*What if your enemy can't be tricked or faked out?*  
  
Ranma definitely remembered the smile that came after that   
question.   
  
*Then, my boy, Anything Goes, doesn't it?*   
  
He always thought that was some kind of pun about his martial arts   
style but now he realized that it really was an answer. In a real fight,   
an opponent was not going to do what you needed him to do in order   
to subdue him. When something like that happened you had to force   
them to conform to what you wanted. By any means possible.  
  
Everyone had a weakness. One simply had to find it and take   
advantage of it. This fact had been burned into his brain a long time   
ago and it were these words that have always given him the strength   
to keep going even when things were at the bleakest. It was this   
phrase that allowed him to weather whatever pain and punishment   
lesser men would have succumbed from to reach the top.   
  
In a flash, he knew what he had to do. But the plan that came to   
mind caused him to hesitate. If he went down this path there would be   
no turning back or avoiding the very likely outcome that would follow.  
  
A sudden impulse caused him to look down from his position and   
he saw into the eyes of a sea of faces staring back at him. It wasn't just   
his life in danger this time but still, surely there was some other way...  
  
A whistling sound was all the warning he had to jump to the side   
just as a row of fireballs flew past him. This was what forced his   
decision. Damn the consequences! If he had to fight then he was   
going to *win.* No matter what the cost.  
  
Increasing his pace, he vowed to himself that if he was going down   
then he wouldn't be going alone! The question was how he was going   
to do it. He had the main outline but the details still had to be worked   
out. And fast.  
  
A smirk threatened to appear on his face. If he was going out, he   
better go out with style then.   
  
It was not like Ranma to have to resort to suicide tactics but he had   
come to recognize the uneasy feeling that had been building up within   
him since the fight had begun. It was the same one he had gotten   
during his fight with Saffron, the demi-god of Phoenix Mountain but   
only worse. He had no illusions about his own survival and neither   
did he particularly care. His only concern at the moment was making   
certain that this abomination would never hurt another living soul.  
  
Ranma took a quick look over his shoulder and saw that the shadow   
was only meters behind him. For the first time, he could sense the aura   
of evil emanating from it, absorbing all the light in its vicinity. No, the   
term shadow was no longer sufficient to describe this creature. Ranma   
now knew what it was and knew what he had to do.  
  
Demons just *had* to be tougher to kill than deities, didn't they?  
  
=============================================  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Whew! Finishing this *one* chapter has taken more out of me   
than any project I had ever undertaken in the past. Longer than   
necessary you say? I agree. I had no intention of dragging this out   
so long. I had so much other stuff I wanted to put in but now have to   
put in chapter 6. I could put them in now but that would only distract   
from what I have so far. There are so many things crammed into this   
chapter I am at a loss to explain how it all got there. I suspect the work   
of gremlins here but I'm digressing.  
  
This was one of the hardest things I ever wrote and I'm not even   
halfway through my story outline yet! It was the fight scenes that gave me   
the most trouble as they aren't really my specialty so I didn't talk about   
the fight much itself. Besides, I was more interested in showing what the   
characters were thinking and their reactions to all this chaos was.  
  
I was probably being too unrealistic in some things and any suggestions   
would be helpful. Also, you might have noticed but I have this tendency to   
simply tell you what's happening rather than take the time to show you. Yes, it   
means I'm lazy and that I'm not a *real* writer. But I must be a good page-turner   
(you know what I mean!) because how else do you explain the fact that you're   
still reading?  
  
With summer coming up as I'm writing this in May of 2001, I should be able to   
devote more time to continuing this series, which I hope to finish *someday.*  
  
Thank you and good day.  
  
  
1) Surviving the combined torments of Genma Saotome, Cologne, Happosai is no  
easy thing!  
  
2) Warning, this is actually a shameless plug for one of my favorite authors, Terry   
Goodkind. The quotation was taken from one of the books in his Sword of Truth   
series, Wizard's First Rule. I just found it oddly appropriate so feel free to   
disregard all this. If you're into fantasy and adventure (and what anime fan,   
especially a Ranma 1/2 fan, isn't?!) you should give it a try. Read it, love it, spread it! 


	6. Inevitable Chaos, Part II

funvince@hotmail.com  
http://www.angelfire.com/anime2/ranmanexus/ranmaweb/splits.html  
  
I know my grammar is atrocious and that I ramble on and on for  
no discernible reason! Stop hounding me! I'm just trying to tell a  
story here! WAAHH!!!  
  
Ahem. Now that's out of my system, let's get on with the story.  
  
The characters of the Ranma 1/2 universe are the creation of  
the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi. Quite frankly, I believe that   
fanfictions are exactly what Takahashi had in mind when she   
created the ending she did so why should we fear reprisals? She   
should be thanking us! Only if she wants to, of course... :)  
  
***********************************************  
  
THE SPLITTING: A RANMA 1/2 FANFICTION  
  
CHAPTER VI: INEVITABLE CHAOS, PART II  
  
By Vincent Nguyen  
  
***********************************************  
  
-Chapter 6-  
  
The chase was still on. But not for long.  
  
Ranma skidded to a halt and turned around waiting to meet the   
demon head-on. But curiously, the instant Ranma had slowed   
down so had it. The shadow-like creature just completely stopped   
and stood there with its defenses down.  
  
The ragged and weary martial artist maintained his ground but   
wondered what his opponent was doing. It was almost as if it   
was... contemplating something. This would have been the   
perfect time to strike.  
  
Ranma didn't move. He hadn't lost *all* his marbles yet.  
  
As Ranma watched warily, the demon's near-invisible black   
aura began to grow. It hadn't given off any signs that   
accompanied a regular battle aura so Ranma had written it off as a   
trick of light. Now, he saw it was quite real and no longer   
something to be ignored.  
  
He didn't know what the aura was made of -for it wasn't ki- but   
he knew it was increasing the migraine he currently had. It was   
becoming more disorienting simply to *look* at the creature in   
front of him. As he watched, the shadow-like outline appeared to   
grow, becoming even larger and more menacing than before.  
  
He almost didn't notice it, absorbed as he was in the sight   
before him. But several factors made themselves known to him. It  
was getting harder to see and it seemed to be colder too despite   
all the heat emanating from his body. He shivered as the wind   
picked up. What was going on?  
  
Giving a quick glance up, he saw rolling formations of dark   
clouds appearing out of nowhere. The light of a sun that had   
barely risen was quickly being blocked and all semblance of   
normality had vanished under the howling of the wind.  
  
'Impressive,' Ranma conceded reluctantly to himself. He knew   
that ki could be used to manipulate the weather -Kuno did it all the   
time- and he presumed the demon did it in a similar fashion. But   
he couldn't help being a little awed. Whether this display of   
power was done to intimidate him Ranma couldn't say.  
  
But he could say with certainty that he was definitely   
intimidated. It wasn't that he was afraid. Thoughts of death didn't  
disturb him. Ranma loved life but the lives of others had always   
been the most important thing to him, though he may not have   
acted like it at times.   
  
No, what was really bothering him was the penetrating thought   
of how low his chances really were. He had barely won against   
entities like Herb and Saffron and this was pushing the odds way   
too far. There were no gimmicks or magic weapons this time to   
save him. This demon was telling Ranma that the kid gloves were   
coming off and that he best be ready.  
  
Intimidated or not, he wasn't going to be scared off by a parlor   
trick. Only brains and skill would show who would survive this.   
The key to winning a fight was not about the number of techniques   
used but how well one used the techniques one already had.  
  
Ranma smiled grimly. This was going to be one hell of a battle.   
It was almost too bad that he probably wouldn't be around to see   
the final result. Check that. Even now, he couldn't make himself   
believe that it would end like this.  
  
There was only one way to find out. It was time.  
  
  
"UGGGHH!!!"  
  
Ranma(C) strained again for the umpteenth time to get off the   
ground. When that proved futile she immediately switched to   
trying to replenish her ki as quickly as possible. Her focus on   
these tasks was so great that she had tuned out the rest of the world.  
  
Slowly, through the self-inflicted haze, there was a low, almost   
mumbling sound.  
  
"...ammaa..."  
  
She turned toward the sound curiously. What could that be?   
  
"...r...maa...!"  
  
Wait! She had it! Uh oh. She had better open her eyes and   
respond before-  
  
WHAP!  
  
"Ow! What ya do that for?"  
  
Cologne peered down at her with an expression of disbelief.   
"I've been calling your name for the last five minutes! If you'll   
look over there, you'll notice that there's been somewhat of a   
change in my son-in-law. Can you tell me what it is?"  
  
Ranma(C) looked in the direction Cologne was pointing her   
staff. Ranma had finished running around on the roof and was now   
leaping back to the spot the combating duo had just occupied.   
What could Cologne have been referring to? She turned to ask but   
then Ranma's next actions shocked her into speechlessness.  
  
The young martial artist had suddenly stopped, sat down on the   
grass like he didn't have a care in the world, and then assumed the   
lotus position. He even closed his eyes! Ranma(C) saw the demon   
racing right toward him. She was about to shout a warning to   
Ranma when a brilliant blue flare of light cut her off.   
  
Ranma's battle aura had suddenly been raised to the visible   
spectrum, blinding everyone within range. Ranma(C) swore under   
her breath. What the hell was he doing?! Wasting energy on a   
pointless display of intimidation at a time like this-  
  
As if in response, the demon's black aura reached out toward   
the energy field at the same time it drew back its fist. There was a   
scream from behind Ranma(C) as the demon's death strike made  
contact with the glowing figure...  
  
...and passed right through it.  
  
The demon slammed face-first into the dirt and slid for a few   
meters before coming to a stop. It instantly tried to regain its   
footing but was only halfway up when a blurred red and black   
cannonball smashed into it.  
  
Jaws all across the outer limits of the field simultaneously   
made contact with Mother Earth.  
  
  
Incredible! Even before Ranma reappeared on the scene,   
Cologne knew what he had done. Even so, she had been   
momentarily fooled by Ranma's sudden use of the Splitting Cats'   
Hair technique. Of course the method he used was more  
inefficient, crude, and overly dramatic -perfectly in line with his  
personality- but she had to give him credit for ingenuity.   
  
He had flared his aura in order to hide the fact that he was   
generating a ki-illusion. And he had managed to jump out of it   
without being seen, which was a risky business even under the   
best of conditions.  
  
She could count on one hand the number of people that had   
the speed and skill necessary to create an apparently solid   
after-image. Ranma had just became one of them. Why had she   
never thought of using the old magician's trick of misdirection?   
Blinding everyone and leaping straight up into the air as an almost   
invisible blur while leaving behind a copy to draw all the attention   
was so obvious in retrospect.  
  
It was simply another sign that she was getting old. Oh sure,   
she could still keep up and beat down with the current generation  
of martial artists, but that was due more to experience and   
knowledge than anything else. She had accepted that a long time   
ago and she was no longer bothered by the increasingly   
numerous indications of age.  
  
At least not as much as she used to be.   
  
But there was another feeling within her, one she would never  
admit to if she were pressed. And that was pride in her young   
protégé. But there was time for that later. If she read the   
determination the boy's face correctly, things were going to come  
to a head really soon and she was not averse to helping stack the   
deck in his favor. But how?   
  
A small and irrational part of her wanted to leap out onto the   
field and aid Saotome in ridding the world of this menace but the   
rest of her knew better. As experienced and knowledgeable as she   
was, she was no longer capable of combating the supernatural.   
Beating upstart black belts was more her forte these days.  
  
Speaking of arrogant martial artists...  
  
Cologne grabbed the collar of Ranma(C)'s shirt and started   
dragging her as though she was no lighter than a feather. The girl's   
body began to twitch, as if it was trying to struggle but wasn't   
quite sure how.  
  
"What are you doing, old ghoul? Don't tell me you're running   
away from a fight!"  
  
The Amazon matriarch severely repressed the urge to wallop   
the girl. There were more important matters to worry about. She   
replied, "The male Ranma appears to have a plan and I intend to   
for you to be ready if he needs your help. But right now, you're   
no good to anyone paralyzed as you are. We don't have the   
luxury of waiting for your body to recharge and heal itself."  
  
Ranma(C) gave a deep sigh. "This is going to hurt, isn't it?"  
  
Cologne didn't bother to reply.  
  
  
Its defenses were down and Ranma was not going to waste   
the opportunity. What basically followed was on the level of a   
controlled beserker rage as he dished out an impossible number   
of blows from every moveable part of his body with all the speed   
he could muster. As Ranma had expected, the severe onslaught of   
sensory information bombarding it from all angles slowed the   
creature's reaction time down by a noticeable difference.   
  
But that wasn't his only intention.  
  
It had dawned on him a while back that if he was going to   
start being more unpredictable, he better start with altering the   
Chestnut Fist. No matter how fast it was executed, it didn't   
change the fact that it was still basically a one-two punch. He   
did learn something from his fight with Kirin after all.  
  
His newest problem was that he couldn't hold off for even a   
second or the tide would instantly turn against him. That meant   
he was giving absolutely no thought for his own defense; and   
the rapidly appearing bruises on his body were showing the   
price he was paying.  
  
Whatever this thing was made of, it was extremely tough. He   
had determined that a long time ago, but now that he thought   
about it the armor-like skin was *too* tough. He didn't care what   
it was made of, it should have taken *some* damage by now!  
  
But there wasn't a blemish or even a crack on its stone-like   
exterior. Therefore there had to be something protecting it from   
damage. There! Ranma's eyes narrowed. It was subtle, almost   
unnoticeable but that thing's hide was definitely being covered   
by some kind of energy field.   
  
His hands flew out at an impossible speed and he got his   
answer. Ranma's rapid probing confirmed that the field was   
definitely *not* ki. Perfect. The simplicity of the field as   
opposed to one generated by a living thing would actually make it   
easier for him to find its weaknesses.  
  
As far as he could tell, the shield was primarily for defense. It   
didn't enhance the demon's strength or speed -these qualities were   
all too natural. Diverting a small part of his concentration to test   
this barrier's strength, he altered some of the ki in his fists and   
watched what happened to it as it impacted against the shield. It   
instantly reflected back at him, which absorbed it automatically.  
  
He shuddered. The energy he took back felt tainted and   
warped and it left a vile burning inside him. He had to focus on   
not vomiting then and there. But under the disgust was a feeling   
of elation. Unlike living ki, this energy field couldn't adapt to   
attempts to penetrate it and while it was good at reflecting energy,   
that was *all* it could do.   
  
So despite the sick feeling inside of him, he continued with his   
attempts. Because he knew with the certainly of a man who had   
been to the edge and back too many times to count that every   
barrier was only as strong as its weakest point.  
  
The problem was that the longer he took to locate these weak   
points, which would no doubt be next to impossible to actually   
target, the more it would become likely that the demon would   
adapt to his new mode of fighting.  
  
Then he would have to try something else. Then something   
after that. Until either he won or he... best not to think about it.   
Besides, he was going to win.  
  
If only he actually believed that.  
  
  
Akane had been watching the battle silently for some time now   
as she sat by Nabiki's still unconscious body. It would have been   
obvious to anyone that she was extremely worried.  
  
She could see all too easily how much Ranma was tiring and   
the pain he was in as he struggled to force his body to obey his   
commands despite the punishment that he was taking. This fight   
was taking much too long and many aspects of it were awakening   
memories that she long thought were suppressed.  
  
Ranma had incredibly successful in defeating the overwhelming   
odds against him in his last life-and-death struggle with the   
supernatural but it appeared that this time his luck was running   
out. Here, he had no magical devices or timely interventions by   
others to help him out. He only had the skills and powers he   
possessed at the moment; and amazing as they were, Akane was   
forced to wonder if they would be enough this time around.  
  
She had watched him run along the entire roof of the school   
then leap back to the ground. She had expected him to take up a   
ready stance to await the inevitable attack that would soon follow.  
  
She couldn't have been further from the truth. Accustomed as   
she was to Ranma's strange actions, she couldn't hold back her   
reaction of shock when she saw her fiancé apparently lose his   
mind. When the demon had dived for his head, she had   
involuntarily shrieked in anticipation of what was to come.  
  
But when the meditating Ranma proved to be an illusion,   
Akane had put her hand to her chest with its all too rapidly   
beating heart and breathed a deep sigh of relief. Then she   
noticed that her hands were clammy and that her fingertips were   
turning somewhat blue.  
  
I'm in shock? Akane thought in disbelief. She had survived   
her second encounter with death with nothing more than a few   
moans and groans, she had dealt with chaos of every sort for over   
a year now, been kidnapped like *dozens* of times and it took   
*this* to get to her?! For some reason, she found this incredibly   
funny and she began laughing hysterically.  
  
The laughter eventually turned into sobs. She didn't know   
why she was crying. It wasn't like she cared about that perverted   
baka. That jerk. He never had kind thing to say to her and he   
always made her so angry. But she did care and that made all the   
difference. He had always been there and her worst fear had   
always been that he would leave her.  
  
And then, in that split second, that one terrifying,   
heart-stopping moment when she thought she had lost him... He   
would have... without her ever telling him...  
  
  
The demon was slowly adapting to his moves and that would   
soon interfere with his objective. He refused to have to start all   
over. It was almost next to impossible to test each small area of   
the energy field while keeping his head from being knocked off.  
  
He needed some attack or move that would allow him to test   
greater areas of the demon's shield at the same time. It also had   
to be something that couldn't simply be blocked. Already, the   
demon was adapting to his frenzied attacks and Ranma was   
hard-pressed to keep up the pace.  
  
Reflexes had almost taken over completely as Ranma's mind   
struggled to keep up with the accelerated pace his fleshy container   
was zooming along at. His body was moving faster and faster as   
all his energy was being concentrated into the areas that would   
inflict the most damage to the monster.   
  
His limbs were moving at such a rapid rate that Ranma was   
forced to divert extra amounts of ki to protect himself against the   
injury that would result if...  
  
He had an idea. One that scared him out of his wits.  
  
Sweat poured down his forehead. No, there had to be another   
way. But he knew there wasn't.  
  
From a region outside the box of tactics he normally confined   
himself to, there came a thought he had never allowed himself to   
entertain. Because the possibility residing there terrified him in a   
way that almost nothing else could compare.  
  
There was a powerful and obvious application of the kachuu   
tenshin amaguriken he had never allowed himself to even think   
about. The result simply wasn't worth it; but, now it was.   
  
He remembered how a few days after he had mastered the   
Chestnut Fist Cologne had stopped by the dojo. He hadn't   
wanted to see her as he had been stuck as a girl at the time but   
she finally succeeded in forcing his attention.   
  
The ancient matriarch had said, *Son-in-law, I am not here   
about Shampoo. I am here to warn you.*  
  
*About what?* Ranma had replied belligerently.  
  
*About the possible consequences of not using the kachuu   
tenshin amaguriken correctly. I would have told you before but   
to honest, I didn't really believe you would master it.*  
  
*Why would that be so hard to believe, old ghoul?* Ranma   
asked arrogantly. *Just say what you have to say already.*  
  
Cologne gave a small nod. *I'll be brief. Ranma, whenever   
you use the chestnut fist, be certain that there is an enormous   
amount of ki protecting your arms from damage. Your mind had   
done this for you in the past automatically because it   
subconsciously knew of the danger. But to be safe, I had to be   
sure that you were aware of it.*  
  
*What's the big deal?* he had asked at the time.  
  
Cologne had looked at him and said, *Do you know what   
happens when a jet breaks the sound barrier? No? I suggest you   
find out. Then try imagining that happening to your arms.*  
  
After she had left, Ranma had immediately sneaked over to the   
local library and read up on airplanes and the effects that friction   
had on them when they passed a certain speed.   
  
He didn't sleep for days after that.  
  
Ranma moaned to himself. This was going to hurt like hell.   
Slowly, he dropped the ki fields around his arms and fists to their   
lowest level and diverted it to his legs to root his legs to the ground.   
Then, screaming out with a rage powered by fear and desperation,   
he rushed forward with the cry of, "KACHUU TENSHIN   
AMAGURIKEN REVISED!!!"  
  
From the blurring fists came a dozen shockwaves. Then a   
dozen more. Then a hundred. Sonic booms thundered   
throughout the sky. (1)  
  
The demon tried to block the attacks at first but when the   
sonic booms hit, it was pounded left and right by something that   
could neither be blocked nor dodged. They came with such   
speed that it couldn't even get out of the way but was caught up   
in the firestorm.  
  
Ranma fought like a man possessed. He gained a tunnel vision   
in which the only object within its scope was his enemy. He   
ignored the smell of burning human flesh that he knew to be his   
own, he ignored the screaming that had left his throat raw, he   
ignored the friction from the air searing the skin right off him. He   
ignored it all but silently he wept in agony.  
  
Spidery cracks were appearing all over the demon's coal-black   
body. The once invisible energy field surrounding the creature   
was lighting up like a neon sign as energy of another sort impacted   
into every centimeter of the shield.  
  
Seeing that fighting back was being ineffectual, it stopped and   
immediately relaxed allowing the blows to launch it away.   
  
Ranma stopped his punching. It took all his willpower not to   
collapse right then and there. His heart was hammering a   
thousand miles an hour and he was beginning to have trouble   
breathing. His vision blurring, he forced himself to look at his   
hands. They were badly burnt and covered with what had to be   
second degree burns but it wasn't as bad as he had feared.   
  
Tears sprang to his eyes but he forced them down. Burning   
was the worst pain imaginable. But he had already known that.   
Had known that little tidbit of life since the 'training accident' he   
experienced as a child. He still had the scars. That accident was in   
some ways worse than the Nekoken in terms of sheer physical pain.   
He had an even more painful reminder the time Cologne used the   
Full Body Cat's Tongue on him. Boiling water had always been a   
source of fear for him. (2)  
  
Focus, he told himself. Look at what he accomplished. On the   
surface of it, those hellish minutes appeared to have done little   
more than create some cracks, but that in itself was important. The   
cracks weren't healing. That was important tactical information   
that showed it wasn't impossible to win. No, just damned difficult.  
  
Those cracks, those *weaknesses* would be of enormous   
significance as soon as he discovered a way to penetrate the shield   
-a way that wouldn't leave him a permanent cripple because there   
was no way he could do *that* again!  
  
The shield had flickered in over a dozen places under his   
barrage and he had retained the presence of mind to note where.   
Now, he had to see hitting what point did the most damage and he   
still had to figure out the frequency of the energy field before he   
could even fully penetrate it.  
  
He groaned. What he had just done was merely a small step   
on the highway to victory.  
  
But it was still a step.   
  
  
Had Ranma gotten faster? She wondered at some point as she   
watched him zoom around on his second wind and realized that he   
was simply using his amazing speed and agility more efficiently   
and effectively than before. His ki burn rate had jumped off the   
charts as he became Chaos personified.  
  
Akane had watched awe-strucked as Ranma threw the best of   
Earth's barehanded self-defense systems at the creature. Crippling   
blows were struck at multiple vital points (where they'd be on a   
human) with arms, legs, fists, and elbows. He had taken his most   
important battle trait, his unpredictability, and taken it to new   
heights. How could she compete with this? Akane thought idly.  
  
Ranma had been doing so well and then he went and did the   
oddest thing...  
  
It was probably a good thing that she was numb right now. In   
way it was a blessing that the analytical portion of her mind had   
taken over because if it hadn't, she would have launched herself   
onto the field, demon or no demon, and gotten herself killed. No,   
that wouldn't have been good for anyone. Akane wondered if   
this was how Nabiki felt earlier.  
  
It was good that she wasn't feeling anything because if she was,   
she probably would have been overloaded by... by... just   
*everything* and burnt herself out.  
  
Bad choice of words. The image of flames danced around in   
her head. She had once burned herself reaching for a marshmallow   
on a camping trip but that had to be nothing compared to what she   
had just seen. She unconsciously rubbed her hands together.  
  
Ranma's newest moves didn't seem to involve any pattern or   
logical sense she could determine, but they seemed to do the trick   
anyway. The martial artist flowed like water as he worked to use   
the monster's strength against him. He had resumed his former   
technique of trying to control the fight on his terms.  
  
Giving it no time to think about anything but pure defense,   
Ranma was able to control the moments when he allowed it to   
lash out to his advantage. Akane noticed that he was trying to   
avoid using his arms as much as possible  
  
Akane saw what Ranma was doing. Unable to use his arms for   
defense or offense, he had simply abandoned his usual hard-style   
method of fighting in favor of arts that would be more useful. But   
that wouldn't work for long because purely defensive martial arts   
styles could only work for so long before the thing adapted.  
  
Hold on. What was he doing? Aikido... Tai Chi... Tae kwon   
do... Hapkido... Judo... Jujitsu...  
  
Ranma was now shifting through various styles so quickly that   
she was having a hard time keeping track of all of his movements.   
She couldn't even identify some of the styles he was using. She   
saw that he would use no particular style for more than a minute   
before he would instantly change stances, defense postures, attack   
strategies, and so forth to keep the demon off-guard.  
  
Only giving the barest concentration to his own defense, Ranma   
was taking every opening he could take or create. He was using   
every trick in the book and then some to get the monster to   
overextend itself, to make some small mistake in his favor. Then   
he would throw it through a wall, slam it into the ground, or get in   
hundreds of solid kicks in the space of a few seconds.   
  
Ranma had managed to dodge every of the shadow's attacks   
with simple shifts in body movement and drew it enough off   
balance to throw it into the ground. Akane had never thought the  
'soft' arts would be useful in a real fight, but Ranma was proving   
her wrong as he pulled off complex moves that redirected the   
monster's energy back at it with extreme precision and skill.  
  
The pigtailed martial artist suddenly changed stances as he   
shifted into a monkey style and utilized a hit and run format. After   
a few minutes of this, he suddenly went into what could only be   
described as a combination of acrobatics and sumo.   
  
Akane watched impressed as Ranma threw himself as a human   
torpedo at the shadowman then immediately backflipped off   
catching the shadow in the face with both feet. Visually, this was   
one of the most stunning displays she had ever seen and it was one   
of pure martial arts and no special techniques of any kind.  
  
She was extremely proud of her fiancee. But she had to   
wonder what Ranma was trying to accomplish with this. What   
was he doing with this seemingly superfluous waste of energy?  
  
He seemed to be watching for something. For what she didn't   
know. He appeared as confident as usual but that didn't do   
anything for the worry she felt.  
  
"Ranma..."  
  
She wished she could do something. Ranma(C) was right, she   
was out of her league most of the time. Why did she have to be so   
helpless? How could she help others if she couldn't help herself?  
  
A groan from her right told her that Nabiki had woken up. She   
said, "What hit me?"  
  
Akane gave a little smile to her sister and replied, "Kuno did."  
  
"Oh yeah. Remind me to raise his interest rates for that!"  
  
"Don't be too hard on him. You were acting crazy there. Not   
like yourself at all." Nabiki gave a small nod and turned away.   
Normally, Akane would have taken the hint and given her sister   
some space but not now, not when the last thing she wanted to   
think about was the battle behind her. She didn't want to see   
Ranma being hurt anymore. That was too much to bear.  
  
"A lot happened when you were out, oneechan. Ranma's still   
hanging in there. Rank- uh, Ranma-chan used up so much ki that   
she collapsed. Cologne showed up earlier and she's taking care   
of her now. Now let me see. Am I forgetting anyone? Oh yeah,   
Kuno, Ukyou, and Miss Hinako went into the school to try to get   
everybody to calm down and help the people that got hurt."  
  
Nabiki turned back to Akane and said, "I find it hard to believe   
that they just left you here. Actually, while we're on the subject   
why am *I* still here? What kind of martial artists are you people?"   
  
"Oh calm down, Nabiki," Akane said a bit annoyed. "Kuno   
and Ukyou both wanted to drag me and you off with them but I   
refused. Besides, where would they put us anyway? Everybody's   
hiding out in the gymnasium because the school looks like it's   
about to collapse any second now. Nabiki, would you want to be   
trapped with hundreds of terrified kids in a building with   
practically no exits if the demon just suddenly attacked there?"  
  
"It looks totally focused on Ranma to me, Akane," Nabiki   
noted.   
  
"And if it decides to get Ranma by attacking one of the   
students?" Akane asked.  
  
"I see your point," Nabiki conceded. "But do you really think   
that we're safer out here in the open like this?"  
  
"Actually, we are. Not only do we have more room to   
maneuver if we have to, but we're below notice. I mean, let's say   
that everybody decides to make a run for it. We'd be stuck in the   
middle and would *really* be in trouble."  
  
Nabiki gave her a look. She said, "I can see Ukyou buying   
that but Kuno?"  
  
"Well... Ukyou did have to drag him off if that's what you're   
asking," Akane replied slowly.  
  
Nabiki waved her hand. "All right, whatever. It doesn't look   
like I'm missing too much. What did you say happened to the   
female Ranma again?"  
  
As Akane opened her mouth to reply, a bloodcurdling shriek   
echoed throughout the afternoon sky.  
  
Both girls instantly turned pale at the sound. Akane turned to   
Nabiki and asked shakily, "What do you think that was?"  
  
"I don't even want to know what that was," Nabiki said   
shuddering.  
  
Turning their heads in the direction the scream had come from,   
they spotted a composed ancient matriarch dragging a badly   
trembling redhead out from a grove of trees.  
  
"What's that about?" Nabiki exclaimed.  
  
"Cologne said that if Ranma goes down, Ranma-chan better be   
there to help out. I'm guessing that's what the torture's for,"   
Akane said uncertainly.  
  
"A bit coldhearted but it makes sense," Nabiki said. She   
turned to Akane and gave her a concerned look. "You don't   
look so hot, Akane. Kind of shell-shocked, actually. How are   
you feeling?"  
  
Akane didn't want to answer that so she changed the subject   
instead. "Oneechan, what you said before about protecting me.   
You've really done that?"  
  
She hadn't meant to sound so depressed about it as she did,   
but she was more than a little upset at the idea that another   
person felt that they had to protect and shelter her from the   
world. Nabiki, being ever her observant self, caught onto this.   
She said, "Akane, you're one of the strongest people I know."   
  
Akane snorted at this and Nabiki glared at her. "Listen to me!   
You have never given up on anything no matter what has   
happened. Call it stubbornness or what you will but I wanted to   
keep your dreams from being crushed by the real world. I know   
better than anyone what kind of people live in this world and I   
didn't want you to have to find out the hard way." Nabiki looked   
down. "Yeah, I probably shouldn't have what I did. I also think   
that I did too good a job. I don't know how to say it..."  
  
"You mean about how I'm spoiled and I refuse to accept   
when people are better than me at something?" Akane was no   
longer looking at Nabiki. But before she had turned away, Nabiki   
caught the flash of sorrow and self-loathing in Akane's eyes. She   
was about to comment on this when she heard Akane gasp.  
  
Nabiki whirled toward the field and saw Ranma on the ground   
apparently having taken a hit to the ribs. The shadow rushed in   
quickly while the girls watched in horror. More blows were   
launched out but there was no response from Ranma and he   
appeared to be unconscious.  
  
Ranma got a severe beating as the demon methodically and   
powerfully begun driving its fists into the boy over... and over...   
and over again.  
  
Akane struggled to her feet but Nabiki immediately grabbed   
her arm. Akane looked down at Nabiki who calmly stared back.   
The pleading in the former's eyes were met by pained   
understanding in the other's.   
  
"He's my fiancee," Akane whispered hoarsely.  
  
Nabiki didn't meet her eyes as she replied softly, "I know."  
  
Nothing more needed to be said. Akane allowed herself to be   
pulled down.  
  
Oh gods, was she crying? She placed her fingers on her face   
and tears were indeed streaming down from her eyes. She felt a   
pair of arms wrap around her and pull her into a hug.   
  
They both looked out onto the field silently.  
  
  
Ranma fought with perfect clarity. His mind was in a state of   
zanshin. He was in the zone where master athletes and martial   
artists often dwelled -at least moreso than most people. It was a   
place where one felt they could do anything, where the normal   
barriers of human limitations simply broke down.  
  
Ranma was past the ego and arrogance that often held him   
back and instead fought with the utter determination that had   
become his trademark characteristic. Each strike and blow was   
shot out perfectly with the utmost precision. He hadn't felt like   
this even against Saffron or Herb, except at the very end. This   
was the Art in its purest form and he could have admired it for its   
deadly beauty if he hadn't been fighting for his life.  
  
He had altered his ki a while back so every move was now   
making it through the field. This would have been impossible to   
do with a human opponent. He still had the armor to contend   
with as long with the demon's supernatural speed though.   
  
He could try the revised Chestnut again if he had to but his   
arms could barely move in their current condition. Elbowing,   
wrist locks, and the like were fine but punching or even blocking   
was impossible. He needed something that would cut through the   
armor quickly and easily yet leave himself protected. With a   
sickening feeling he knew what it had to be.  
  
He would have to resort to using the Forbidden techniques his   
father had devised. He would have to use the ultimate techniques   
of the Umisen-ken and the Yamasen-ken. Unfortunately, there   
were a few serious problems with this decision. That was why he   
hadn't seriously considered using it before. There were two   
reasons for that. One was the simple manner of honor. He had   
promised Ryu Kumon that he would seal the techniques.   
  
He wrestled with this problem for a few minutes then he just   
ignored it. Yes, honor was very important to Ranma Saotome,   
but it paled in comparison to the lives of others. Somehow, he   
didn't think that Kumon would begrudge him breaking their pact   
just this once. He really wasn't that bad a guy really. Ranma   
promised to redeem himself later for what he would now do. He   
was that desperate.  
  
This led to the second problem, which was more difficult to   
overcome. He no longer knew how to do the techniques. After   
that final fight with Kumon, Ranma had written down the moves,  
hid them, then used his selective powers of memory to obliterate   
them from his mind. (3) Ranma Saotome took his promises seriously.   
Now, he wished he hadn't done such a good job.   
  
But this wasn't the time for self-recriminations. He needed to   
remember the necessary methods, but he needed time to   
concentrate to reverse the erasure he had committed. There was   
no way he could focus on that and fight at the same time. He'd   
have to think of something.   
  
It was a martial artist's duty to defend the weak, but that   
wasn't his whole motivation. He had friends and family worth   
protecting and whatever price he would pay would be worth it.  
Fighting to help others was what martial arts was really about   
and it was exhilarating to finally be able to use it for that use   
instead of simply trying not to get killed by a rival.  
  
This dance of death was not one-sided. The shadow fought   
constantly trying to adjust to the new styles bombarding it. Speed   
and strength of both fighters was about equal but it appeared that   
Ranma was superior in skill. The demon was a highly competent   
martial artist in its own right but it was too straightforward. It   
lacked the battle experience that Ranma had in spades. Real fights   
were more than about techniques but about guided chaos.   
  
The creature suddenly changed tactics as it leaped backwards a   
few meters and shot out fireballs at Ranma. Ranma didn't attempt   
to dodge and he didn't even blink as he simply put out his hands   
and responded with an even bigger ki blast that neutralized the   
blast. Showing a lack of any emotion that a human fighter would   
have, the shadow was already moving when Ranma appeared   
directly in front of it.  
  
Ranma's mind was almost detached as he shot small ki bolts   
from his arms and legs after each strike battering the enemy left   
and right. A portion of his brain was wondering where he was   
getting the energy to keep shooting from but he did notice that it   
was being used with ruthless efficiency.  
  
His senses seemed heightened somehow as he could now   
focus on everything around him while parts of his brain instantly   
analyzed the changing battle situation around him and created   
tactics that his body immediately carried out.  
  
Fighting with a focus that would have made a Zen master   
proud, Ranma felt almost at peace as his mind, body, and spirit   
moved with perfect synchronization moving toward a level he had   
never reached before. He had almost reached this plateau when he   
was hit with a paralyzing pain that almost made him double over.   
  
He realized instantly what was wrong. He was already moving   
lightyears beyond the limits of a normal human and now he had   
stretched himself to the max. He had to finish the fight now   
before he ran out of power.  
  
Damn it! He could have done it. He could have slowly worn   
down the demon with his new tactics if he simply had the energy   
to do so. His mind was willing but his body was slowly shutting   
down. His second wind had extinguished without warning.  
Ranma frantically tried to come up with another idea. Any idea.  
  
Another spasm of pain shuddered through his body. Ranma   
faltered. His left side was unguarded for maybe a split second.   
That was all the demon needed. In that span of time Ranma was   
punched several dozen times in the ribs and was thrown back by   
the impact. He laid there in agony and immediately tried to rise   
before a fireball or worse came his way.   
  
His body failed to respond. His nervous system had burned   
itself out. Damn it! He could have won! He could have made it   
but now it was too late. Forcing his head to turn slightly, he   
expected to see a blazing ball of death heading toward him; but,   
what he saw instead was the demon itself running toward him.   
  
But why? Maybe the demon thought it was a trick or maybe   
it wanted to do him in personally after the humiliation it had taken.  
It was strange thinking that the demon would be motivated by   
something akin to human emotion, but from what little he knew   
about such entities he knew that they were more remarkably like   
human beings than one would think. Whatever the case, Ranma   
knew he still had a chance. Unfortunately, this also meant that he   
would probably discover a whole new meaning of pain.  
  
His opponent had just blurred from his line of sight and he   
involuntarily tensed up in anticipation for the incoming attacks.   
He saw the briefest flash of color before excruciating pain   
exploded throughout his body. Through the haze rapidly   
covering his eyes, he could make out the blurs of various limbs   
crashing into him with the strength of an ox.   
  
Oh gods, this hurts! This must be what it would feel like if   
Ryouga knew the Chestnut Fist! Every instinct in his body cried   
for him to fight back, to slide away from this punishment but he   
forced himself to ignore it. That would only be a waste of energy.   
He tried to focus on rebuilding his ki.  
  
According to his internal energy meter he had five minutes at   
most before his ki shield was completely penetrated and   
irreversible damage would be done to his innards. When had his   
ki supply gotten so low? He was used to having so much more   
than this but it was like half of it had gone somewhere else.  
  
So far he was being pounded into the dirt and a crater was   
rapidly forming under him. Hopefully this wouldn't turn out to   
be the hole he would be buried in.  
  
There was only one other thing he could now that would give   
him even the slightest possibility of surviving. But it didn't seem   
like it would coming to mind anytime soon. 'Aaagh! Stupid   
brain!' He screamed at himself. 'Remember or I'm going to die!'  
  
At least this situation was allowing the demon to become   
distracted enough that Ranma could finally concentrate. As crazy   
as that sounded it was true. He needed the time to focus and he   
had to be sure that the demon was busy.   
  
Mind over body, he reminded himself gritting his teeth. He's   
been beat up many times before but this felt like every blow he's   
ever taken lumped together! It was difficult for him to hold onto   
the clarity of focus that he had moments ago. It seemed that only   
his superhuman conditioning and the battered remains of his ki   
shield kept him relatively intact.  
  
His mind had to be calm, to be in tune with nature. Not really   
the easiest thing in the world to do when one was being pounded   
into a pancake.  
  
It really, *really* sucked that this had to happen at all. But he   
needed the time to concentrate. Did that sound as crazy as he   
thought it did? But he had no other choice. He needed the time   
to make the necessary alterations to his ki. These changes would   
take more time simple because of the nature of what they were.  
  
If he simply had had the time to practice the Forbidden   
techniques secretly and safely before now he wouldn't have to be   
reduced to such an inane scheme.  
  
This had to be his father's fault somehow. Everything bad that   
happened to him was caused by his father in some way after all.   
He was the one that forbid him from using the techniques unless   
it was a life or death situation...  
  
Seeing how this was a life or death situation...  
  
NO! When had he gotten off-track? He had to focus! But it   
was so hard to think, to even breathe...  
  
Ranma raised the eyelids he hadn't realized had closed and saw   
the monster above him -kneeling carefully out of reach- stare down   
at him with its dark, expressionless face as it reached for him.  
  
The demon had now taken to strangling him. Pressure was   
building within his body and he could feel his strength seeping   
away. Ranma groggily stared into the twin black holes that made   
up the eye sockets of the demon's face.  
  
That proved to be a mistake. He tried to tear his eyes away but   
something about the blackness was strangely memorizing. The   
darkness seemed to expand, surrounding him and filling him with   
a heart-wrenching emptiness. It was so cold...  
  
This was such a stupid idea. How could he have thought that   
this would work? Others would now pay for his mistakes. Such a   
major miscalculation... How could he have underestimated his   
enemy so badly...?  
  
Lying there paralyzed and unblinking, he could feel a slight   
pulling on his chest and he realized that something vital was being   
taken from him. He felt like he should be doing something about   
it but he didn't know what...   
  
Ranma knew his body was lying outside the school but he   
didn't know where *he* was. Everything around him was just   
so formless, just swirling around him disorienting him because   
he just realized that he had no body. He was helpless, locked   
into the role of an observer with no way of fighting back.  
  
Without warning, he felt his mind being invaded. They were   
indescribable, nameless, but somehow he recognized them for   
the horrors they were. They were all the fears and monsters that   
humanity keeps locked inside them silent and waiting for their   
chance to escape.  
  
And for awhile he was consumed by them. He weakly tried   
to push them out of his mind, but he had no limbs, no way to   
fight back...  
  
...he was drowning in a sea of terror...  
  
Then suddenly, it stopped. His mind was his own again. He   
felt himself moving or at least he thought he did. It was difficult   
to tell, considering he had no body or an environment to orient on.  
  
That's when he heard it, felt it. That's when the screams   
began...  
  
As if someone had just turned up the contrast, a world   
appeared in front of his non-existent eyes like a picture on a   
movie screen. But unlike a film, the scenes presented before him,   
scenes of dead, tortured souls, were so real and vivid he felt he   
could simply reach out and touch them.   
  
His first response was pity. No one could possibly deserve   
this. But that feeling soon turned to revulsion for the longer he   
stared the deeper he could see into their souls.  
  
And he saw why they were there...  
  
Ranma was suddenly dropped in a cascade of images, sounds,  
smells, and feelings. He thought the horrors he endured before   
was the worst but he was wrong. What he felt before was simply   
a terror of the unknown. This... this was all too real.  
  
...the man stood patiently upon the balcony looking down at the   
filthy, ragged crowd of peasants below him. They seemed to be   
excited to be here, to do anything that would take them away for a   
few moments from their wretched, pathetic lives. He pulled his   
attention away as he spotted his soldiers making their way through   
the crowd herding the prisoners along. The man watched silently as   
the traitors were dragged screaming and struggling to the pit.   
Tossed in almost casually, they were immediately impaled on the   
stakes. The men wriggled and writhed unable to even scream due   
to the blood pouring out of their mouths. The man on the balcony   
smiled in satisfaction...  
  
...they had been taught the sacred commandments and the holy   
words yet these heretics still refused to accept the True Word of   
God and instead reveled in their blasphemy. Filled with a   
righteous anger, he signaled the torchbearers to do their duty. As   
the kindling was set ablaze, the priest was suddenly overcome with   
a feeling of sorrow. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the smell   
of human flesh burning and the screams of horror coming his way.   
Those poor souls. It really was for the best...  
  
...these simpleminded savages could not understand. These   
primitive, inferior beings did not comprehend what the concept of   
civilization represented. It was a better way of life, a way for more   
to live. Anger filled his heart as he thought of all these resources   
being wasted, the thought of so many loyal citizens of the Empire   
being slaughtered by these barbarians in their selfishness. They   
deserved everything that was coming to them...  
  
...ignoring the screaming and the pleas of terror that were   
coming from the chamber, the technicians went about their work   
checking the gauges and filling out their clipboards with hurried   
efficiency. The head of this base snagged one off a stammering   
underling and scanned the results. The productivity rate of the gas   
chambers had gone up even more than he had expected. The   
Fuhrer would no doubt be pleased. He ordered the workers to clean   
out the chambers for the next batch of *volunteers*...  
  
...they were the enemy, that was all he needed to know. With a   
wave of the hand, his troops moved into the village prepared to do   
what was necessary. The villagers were lined up and he felt a pang   
of guilt as he stared at the faces of men, women, children, aunts,   
uncles, grandparents. He squashed the emotion. They were not   
what they seemed. He had it on good information that this village   
was full of VietCong. Why couldn't this war be fought decently?   
Using cowardly, guerilla tactics, sending children armed with bombs   
to blow unsuspecting soldiers away, pretending to be simple   
farmers or the like before revealing their true colors. These people   
brought it on themselves. Who was in the wrong here? He would   
never know if these people were innocents or were simply   
pretending to be, but he couldn't take that chance. Picking up his   
gun, he pulled back the trigger...  
  
It was all the same. No matter what scene was shown, no matter   
what time period it was, it was the same. Suffering was caused by   
many things but it all boiled down to sorrow, anger, and hatred.   
Toward nature, toward God, toward fellow man or one's self,   
whatever the source the rage would spread like a virus infecting all   
with its deadliness. Thus the cycle of violence was continued.  
  
It could have been a minute, it could have been an eternity, but   
in that span of time Ranma knew he was staring into the face of hell.  
  
He was staring into the face of Hell and he knew that he had   
lost, he had finally lost. Had he the willpower left, he could have   
shot off a Shi shi hodokan that would have overshadowed   
anything the lost boy could have generated.  
  
When it was finally over, when the scenes of suffering finally  
stopped, he drifted there silently lost in his thoughts. He felt that he   
should be doing or saying something, but how could he respond to   
this? He couldn't even comprehend what he had just experienced.   
It was so far outside his worldview that he just drifted there unable   
to do anything at all.  
  
He felt the presence of someone watching him. He knew it was   
the demon. It didn't occur to him to be worried. He just wanted to   
understand. He was so confused and he was going to break down   
any minute now into sweet oblivion because no one should be   
forced to handle something like this.  
  
Why? He voiced silently into the darkness. Why? He didn't   
know what he was asking but he knew he needed an answer. His   
thoughts spun wildly. Dozens of questions shot out from him in the   
manner of speaking without speaking. How could these people do   
this to themselves? How could they have done the things they did?   
How could they turn such a blind eye to the suffering they caused?   
How could they... make it so necessary for Hell to exist?  
  
He understood. Oh gods, he understood. The demon was evil,   
yes, but it was no eviler than the men and women who he was   
responsible for taking to their rightful place when they refused to go   
peacefully. Hell couldn't exist if there wasn't evil in each and every   
human. The worst part was these people honestly believed that they   
were right. How was that possible?  
  
He could still feel the screams of an uncountable number of   
people, the anguish and fear that was caused by the unknown, by  
suffering, by the innate cruelty of man. Thousands of souls had   
been damned most by their own actions, some by the personal   
intervention of the agents of evil. Agents that, in some twisted,   
unbelievable way actually worked for them.  
  
Someday, he knew, the punishment would come to an end. He   
didn't know how he felt about that. On one hand, he felt immense   
relief that these misguided souls wouldn't suffer forever; yet at the   
same time he wanted the bastards to burn forever for what they had   
done. He didn't know what to feel or what he was supposed to do.  
  
All he knew was that he wanted to die. Humanity was   
despicable. This was too much. He couldn't live with this  
knowledge. Why hadn't the demon put him out of his misery yet?  
  
Maybe that's what it wants. It wants you to give up so it can   
take your soul without any resistance, was the thought that   
eventually entered his mind.  
  
That comment ignited something within him and he realized  
that despite everything there was still a spark burning within him   
that wouldn't allow him to go quietly into the night.  
  
Rationality slowly returned. What the demon had shown him   
was true but it was only one side of the story. Horrifying as it was,   
his death would change nothing. There was more to life than what   
he had just witnessed. He couldn't describe why he felt that way   
but he knew it to be true. This display was nothing more than a   
mind game designed to crumble the wills of the guilty. It was   
relevant yet somehow irrelevant at the same time.  
  
As the darkness swirled around him, he protested that he was   
not like them and didn't deserve this. His strength rose from the   
fact that he didn't deserve to be taken like this, that he wasn't like   
the others that had dug their own graves.  
  
The soulless eyes gave a brief flash of agreement but beyond   
that there was no reply.  
  
His conviction that he was not evil gave him the willpower to   
fight back with all the power his soul possessed. He didn't deserve   
this. This wasn't right. He was not yet ready to die without a fight.   
His thoughts and his entire will were funneled into one overriding   
goal: to survive.   
  
Surging forth from the depths of his soul, Ranma's will pushed   
back the darkness and suddenly Ranma's mind was cleared and   
filled with purpose. He could do nothing about the past but the  
future was still open. And right now, he realized that this might   
be his only chance to retaliate and that he'd better take it.  
  
The darkness around him shrunk and before he knew it, he was   
back in his body staring up at the demon. He could hear the   
pounding in his ears as his heart pumped blood through his veins.   
The adrenaline rushing through his body gave him tremendous   
energy. But underneath it all was a profound and utter peace.   
  
Thum... thum... thum... He felt time suddenly slow and from   
one heartbeat to the next an infinity of moments opened up to   
Ranma. Everything clicked into place.   
  
The world seemed brighter somehow after the abyss he had   
just been in. The air was crisper and the sky looked like the most   
beautiful thing he had ever seen. He could feel the energy   
emanating from the earth and he drank it all in allowing this purity   
to heal his injured soul. Like a newborn babe he was filled with awe   
at the wonders around him and for one instant he could almost   
forget the horrors he had seen.  
  
In the end this was all that mattered. It was not the petty and   
stupid things that people fought and killed each other over daily.   
It was life. Life in any form was the only valid object worth   
fighting for. Without even realizing it, he had managed to   
achieve the unity with nature that he had been seeking. He   
marveled... and he remembered... the blocks in his mind melted   
away like snowflakes after the sun had come out.  
  
A multitude of openings he couldn't spot before on the demon's   
body sprang into clarity and Ranma sprung into action. With an   
almost detached air, his arms raised up from his sides and easily   
broke through the vice-like grip that was choking him.   
  
Then holding the surprised creature at bay, he smiled. The   
arrogance and confidence that usually graced his features were   
gone and was replaced with an uncharacteristic air of nonchalance   
and whimsy as if he knew something the demon didn't.  
  
Before the demon could respond to this new development,   
Ranma *vanished.*  
  
The demon remained in its current position as if not sure   
what to make of this new development. But then it heard the   
faintest whisper. The whisper of, "Demon God Assault Bomb." (4)  
  
Before it could orient on the voice, it felt the sudden impact of   
over a dozen near invisible blades slam into it landing mostly on the   
cracks in its exterior. Reeling back it braced for more but none   
were forthcoming.  
  
Ranma slowly appeared out of the air giving a brief   
disorienting look of limbs not connected to a torso or legs with   
no feet until his entire body came into view. He was a sight to   
behold since his clothes were in tatters, he was covered in   
bruises and while nothing appeared broken he held his body in a   
stiff manner. He didn't look like he could stand much less fight.  
  
Ranma's face had undergone some changes too aside from   
the physical damage done to it. Despite the swollen lips, blacks   
eyes, and slightly broken nose, Ranma's expression was calm,   
almost serene even.   
  
Then Ranma began coughing violently and a lungful of blood   
was expelled. The demon didn't take this opportunity to attack   
but stood there as if waiting for the next move.   
  
Ranma composed himself and stayed where he was staring at   
his hands. He had done it. He had utilized the Umisen-ken   
without having to use the cloth. It had been a crutch that he no   
longer needed. But more importantly, he now understood how   
the technique worked. How it *fully* worked.  
  
The explanation that came to him was almost absurdly simple.   
With most invisibility techniques, the user would suppress so   
much of their ki that there was virtually none left for the work   
involved in actual fighting. The umisen-ken was different in that   
instead of trying to blend himself into nature, he allowed nature   
to wrap around him. In essence, it was the earth's own ki field   
that was masking him thus leaving his own energy free to use.  
  
With someone of his skill and experience utilizing the   
Umisen-ken and the Yamasen-ken *together*, he was not only   
undetectable but also almost invincible. His opponent had almost   
no chance of winning. It would be so simple now to simply butcher   
the creature where it stood. This was the reason that he reappeared.  
  
Ranma spoke, "Normally, I would hesitate to use such   
techniques against an opponent that couldn't fight back against   
them, but you leave me little choice. As I consider myself an   
honorable man, I am giving you one chance to leave."  
  
The demon stared back with its expressionless face. And to   
Ranma's surprise it spoke. Its voice was guttural, devoid of emotion,   
and vaguely mechanical; yet, there was the unmistakable trace of   
respect in its words as it said, "We both know I can't do that. But   
were it my choice I would allow you to live. Your soul is too pure   
for the likes of me. But it is not now nor has it ever been my way to   
question my orders. I decline your offer. We battle to the end."  
  
Ranma's face was impassive. "To the end it is then." With   
that reply, he faded from view.  
  
The shadow stood motionless for a moment then warned by   
some sense that was beyond the normal human five it rolled out   
of the way as the ground it was standing on suddenly exploded.  
  
The fight was back on.  
  
  
"Son-in-law never ceases to amaze me," Cologne said. "He got   
an assassin demon, of all demons, to speak."  
  
"What's the big deal about that?" Ranma(C) asked. She was pale   
and shaking from Cologne's ministrations but for the most part she   
seemed fine and almost back to her old self. She was currently   
focused on the fight and making mental notes to herself.  
  
"Most demons have a range of specialties they operate in, from   
outright torture to temptation and seduction. Assassin demons have   
only one purpose: to kill. These killers don't bother with taunting   
or persuading their victims to give up their souls. The people they   
deal with need no perrsuasion to damn themselves. But they are the   
souls that refuse to come quietly and will often come up with   
ingenious ways to cheat death. Hell doesn't take kindly to those   
who attempt to escape their punishment.   
  
"These assassin demons are used only as a last resort. It is very   
rare for them to ever be called out as Hell has numerous other tools   
at its disposal. It is too easy to kill someone and it is more   
satisfying to corrupt a soul and let it damn itself. Also, as per   
agreement between Heaven and Hell, Hell is forbidden from even   
*trying* to take an innocent soul by force. And despite son-in-law's   
many transgressions, he has done nothing to earn this attention.  
  
"The other possibility for elimination is if there's a mortal who   
become a threat to one of the Unspoken One's plans. But even if   
some mortal's death was extremely desired, it is more efficient to   
engage human agencies to carry out the deed."  
  
"I guess my reputation has preceded me. They know they   
have to send out the big guns if they want to defeat me,"   
Ranma(C) said not even bothering to hide her smugness.  
  
Cologne ignored her as she was peering out into the field as if   
she was trying to see something the others could not. "Hardly.  
There are forces in Hell that if they were allowed to roam freely   
onto Earth could defeat us all in under a second. But besides that,  
something is not right here. That creature had plenty of   
opportunities to put an end to young Ranma. I was on the verge   
of allowing you out there before I saw that it wasn't necessary."  
  
Ranma(C) glared at her. "It's a good thing too. And I don't   
appreciate you paralyzing me like that when I could have gone   
out and done something."  
  
"Part of me agree with you on that," Nabiki said walking up   
dragging along an immobilized and blank-eyed Akane. "But the   
more rational part of me has to agree with Cologne. You could   
have made things worse by trying to break their mental connection."  
  
Ranma(C) just growled angrily. "I have never sat on the   
sidelines of a fight in my life! Especially when it's as dangerous   
as this one. Yet you people just sat here and argued when he   
needed our help the most!"  
  
Cologne appeared to have gotten angry. She stalked forward   
and jabbed Ranma(C) in the chest with the tip of her staff. "Some   
of us here are thinking clearly, Saotome, and you obviously are   
not. Let me be blunt. You are weaker, less coordinated, and less   
experienced in fighting in this body than in your male one. Your   
speed is greater and your skill level remains the same but that's all.   
  
"The male Ranma has been fighting this thing all this time and   
he knows better than anyone right now how that thing thinks and   
reacts. That works both ways. Sending you out there would only   
get you slaughtered because that demon knows how Ranma   
Saotome fights and you know nothing about it. Watching a fight   
is not the same as being in one. You know that, just as you know   
that we need you here now as a backup and not to be cannon   
fodder. That is how it will be."  
  
Ranma(C) wanted to protest, to yell, and to scream. But she   
knew Cologne was right. Damn that old ghoul but she was right.  
There was a time for fighting but there was also one when not to.  
That didn't mean she had to like it.  
  
While the redhead was silently steaming, Nabiki faced Cologne   
and said, "All this talk about Hell, are you saying it really exists?   
You know, with the whole eternaltorment and brimstone bit?" Her   
voice cracked despite her efforts to remain composed.  
  
Cologne gave her a smile filled with amusement and bitterness.   
"Yes, Hell does exist. The truly evil can not be cured with kindness;  
they have to learn their lessons the hard way. Sadly, I can easily   
name a dozen humans whose deeds put to shame any myths   
commonly attributed to the underworld. But to answer your *real*   
question, Nabiki Tendo, it is more difficult to get into Hell than one   
might think. Take it from an old woman who has seen a great deal."  
  
There was an awkward silence. While Nabiki struggled with   
herself to fit these piece of information into her worldview,   
Ranma(C) spoke up. She said, "But you still haven't answered   
my question about why it was important that the demon talked."  
  
Cologne was silent for a minute composing her thoughts. At   
length she said, "The only time an assassin demon speaks is when   
it knows that it will be defeated. It is indicating its respect by   
admitting Ranma is worthy of killing it. It will fight to the death   
because of its very nature but it knows it will lose."  
  
She gravely pointed her staff toward the fight. "It won't be   
long now."  
  
  
This wasn't a battle, it was a slaughter. The demon weakly   
fought back but it had no chance. Its responses got weaker and   
weaker each time it was hit. Its energy shield was nonexistent   
now and the vacuum blades were actually slicing through its   
limbs and carving deep cuts into its body. Some sort of blackish   
fluid was now oozing out from its wounds.  
  
But the demon was for lack of a better word inhuman. No   
matter what Ranma did to it, it would simply get back up and   
keep on coming. Its numerous injuries may have slowed it down   
but did nothing to quench its determination.  
  
Ranma watched helplessly as the demon launched itself at the   
location Ranma had sent his blasts from -a location he had already   
vacated way before the demon had gotten there. The demon had   
to know this was futile.  
  
Ranma forced himself on but he could not deny what it was he   
was doing. This was no longer self-defense. It was murder pure   
and simple. He had killed before to save Akane's life and that he   
felt was justified, but this was different. He was being hampered   
by doubt but after his recent experiences it was understandable.  
  
This was different from just downing a hardened criminal. In   
a case like that, Ranma would do only what was strictly necessary   
before he'd call the police to take care of the rest. But he couldn't   
do that here. This was a monster that couldn't simply be locked up.   
He had given the demon a chance to escape because he knew *this*   
was the only possible outcome.  
  
Even at the risk of his own life, he would have done almost   
anything to avoid this. It was one thing to take out an opponent in   
battle, but taking the life of someone who was struggling and in   
pain unable to defend themselves was something else.   
  
It was too easy. It simply wasn't fair. Hmmph. Ranma   
Saotome actually talking about the concept of fair! But there was   
simply a major difference between fighting and killing and the day   
he became comfortable with it would be the day he'd kill himself.  
  
If he was forced to kill, he'd preferred to do it in as painless a   
manner as possible. That wasn't possible here and that caused him   
greater pain.  
  
Ranma wouldn't stop but this felt wrong. He had never felt so   
confident about defeating an opponent but he had never felt so low   
either. It was no longer a challenge for him to break through the   
shadowman's defenses and send it flying back.  
  
A couple strategically placed shots and Ranma could easily   
cripple his adversary by slicing off an arm or leg giving him a   
decisive advantage. But he couldn't do that, wouldn't do that,   
not to anybody. It was not a step he was willing to take yet. But   
time was running out for both of them.  
  
The effects of the Umisen-ken on the surroundings were   
impressive. There was literally no disturbance on the environment   
that he could determine. The air didn't distort, none of the grass   
blades even bent over from his stepping on them. It was like he   
had wrapped the landscape around him and he was now watching it  
from the outside. (5) This hadn't happened the last time that he used   
this technique. He wondered if his father knew about this. But   
however it occurred, there was a difficulty.   
  
The Umisen-ken was powerful but it was also draining. There   
was no effort in staying invisible. No, there was effort in making   
sure he didn't remain that way. Blending so thoroughly with nature   
brought its own share of problems. The urge was building within   
him to simply give up and allow himself to fade away, to become   
fully one with the nothingness he was currently in.  
  
He fought against it and his mind was split between his internal   
struggle and his outer one. Soon, he would be forced to phase   
himself back into reality if he wanted to keep his mind intact. And   
if he hadn't brought the demon to its knees by that point...  
  
There was nothing else he could do! He couldn't attack it   
directly. He was too injured and the demon was still formidable   
even in its current state. Also, it would do no good. Ranma had   
to destroy it, make sure it was gone. Because he knew deep down   
that if it didn't end here it would never end. Ranma had seen the   
demon's mind, he had understood some of it, and he knew that   
mercy was not a part of its worldview.  
  
He wanted to simply vaporize it with a Moko Takahashiba, a   
pure concentration of life force, which should destroy it. But the   
problem was every time he tried to produce even the smallest ki   
blast his shield of invisibility was disrupted as the air around him   
rippled. His few attempts almost got him killed each time.  
  
So with no other option left he continued shooting out the  
vacuum blades. The demon dodged as best as it could but   
eventually it could do no more. Hit by the full power of these   
blades, it was the leg that came away first, separating itself from   
the main mass of the body sinking to the ground oozing out its   
blackish blood.  
  
The demon sunk onto the ground following its severed limb.   
Ranma stood frozen, aghast at what he had done. He could only   
stare at the stump, at the leg that was no longer there.  
  
Martial artists like Ranma could deal with the sight of many   
things from blood to broken bones. Even the sight of death would   
not have brought on this type of reaction until after the fight was   
over. But Ranma stood still. He could do nothing else.  
  
It was the sight of a component of a body dying before his eyes,   
a limb that was no longer attached to the whole. He saw what had   
to be the worst thing that could happen to anyone -short of   
paralysis- especially to a fighter. It was too permanent, too much.  
  
The sight was something that could drive a person mad and   
would indeed give Ranma nightmares. There were no words to   
describe what he was feeling. Ranma felt sick to his stomach but   
it had to be done, didn't it? He had amputated Saffron when he had   
the chance and he hadn't felt anything close to this.  
  
But it wasn't the same. Not the same at all.  
  
Tears were running down his face. He knew that the thing   
dying on the grass was a merciless killer that had slain hundreds   
and deserved no mercy of its own. But that rationalization was   
hollow. This demon only took those bastards that sought to cheat   
death and wouldn't have made it to Heaven anyhow.  
  
There was a reason these techniques were forbidden. They   
were simply too powerful to be placed into human hands. That   
might sound ridiculous coming from a man who could destroy a   
city block with his bare hands but the truth was those techniques   
could be avoided or recovered from. These couldn't be. Martial   
artists fought but didn't kill. These moves were either-or, there   
was no middle ground.  
  
These moves in the hands of one who knew how to use them   
expertly would be a force to be reckoned with. There was no   
other martial art available that could simply rip off a person's limb   
without even touching that person. This one could. Defending   
from an enemy that couldn't be sensed was almost impossible.   
This was the province of technology, maybe even magic, not   
something as human as martial arts.  
  
And these techniques were only a thin layer out of the whole.   
He knew his father had kept many of the higher techniques from   
him and he hadn't pushed it afraid to know what they were.  
  
The demon had done nothing in all this time. It seemed   
resigned to its fate. Swallowing hard, Ranma took a step toward   
it and almost fell to his knees in pain. His injuries were more   
severe than he thought. He was running on pure adrenaline and   
willpower, but even that wouldn't last much longer. Time to end   
this, he thought.  
  
Ranma had past the point of no return.  
  
He wondered why this was happening and what was the point   
of it all. He simply didn't understand. Another bit of his innocence   
was lost now. How much was left?  
  
He reappeared. Not because the Umisen-ken's effects were   
overwhelming him but out of respect for a worthy opponent.  
  
The demon no longer looked as powerful and frightening as it   
did before but looked simply like a deformed and pitiful human   
being. Upon closer inspection, Ranma saw that he had been   
wrong in his estimation. None of the demon's injuries appeared   
to be life-threatening but it didn't look like it could get up either.  
  
The demon glanced up at Ranma and gave him a bemused yet   
obviously painful smile. It gasped out, "It looks like you win. I   
trust I don't have to tell you what needs to be done."  
  
Ranma said softly, "I'm not a warrior. I'm a martial artist. I   
don't kill." His eyes took on a haunted look. "At least I try not to."  
  
He looked down at the entity that was turning the ground black   
with its blood. Ranma whispered, "I don't want to do this."  
  
There was the slightest hint of a smile on what was left of the   
demon's face. "And that is why you don't deserved to be damned.   
But if you stop now I *will* do so. Then I believe I shall go after   
that blue haired fiancee of yours. Her name was Akane, wasn't it?"  
  
With a cry of rage, Ranma picked up the demon with one hand   
and prepared to knock off its head. He stood there breathing   
heavily not noticing the *real* flames that were emanating from his   
body. Then Ranma realized that this was what the demon wanted.  
  
He hesitated then he said, "No, there has to be another way."  
  
The demon hissed, "There isn't." It drew back its hand and   
Ranma could see that a black fireball was being formed in its palm.   
Without a thought beforehand Ranma's free fist launched out and   
his body followed it covered in flames.  
  
With all the remnants of his strength, he launched out a glowing   
uppercut that would have made Akane proud. After flinging up   
high, he put out both hands and cried, "MOKO TAKABISHA   
SHI SHI HOKODAN COMBINED!"  
  
With the supreme confidence of one who knows that he can kill   
and the absolute depression at having to take a life, Ranma   
produced a blast so strong that the sky lit up for several minutes   
before fading. There was not a trace left of the demon.  
  
Ranma held a defensive posture for almost a minute before he   
collapsed soundlessly.  
  
"Ranma!" Akane cried as she hobbled toward him despite her   
burns.  
  
"I had no idea he could do that," Cologne breathed with a tone   
of surprise. "I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it."  
  
Akane cried out frantically, "Help! His heart's not beating!"  
  
Ranma(C) felt a sense of worry as she looked over Ranma's   
body. He was breathing though shallowly but so far there wasn't   
any motion coming from his heart. She had been on the receiving   
end of CPR numerous times or so she had been told upon awaking   
from one of those times but she didn't know how to actually do it.  
  
Akane was already pounding on Ranma's chest with both hands   
and the sound of ribs cracking could soon be heard. Cologne gently   
grabbed her hands and stopped her. She said, "You're only making   
things worse, dear."  
  
"Do something then!" Akane yelled.  
  
Cologne shook her head slowly and said, "We can only hope   
that he makes it. Ranma is a strong boy and I'm sure he will make   
it. There is nothing I can do at the moment." She was looking at   
Ranma(C) when she said this.  
  
Ranma(C) ignored both of them. Okay, time to think things out.   
Ranma wasn't breathing and his heart wasn't beating. What he   
needed was a shock to the heart. But his ki was also dangerously   
low and that problem had to be taken care of soon or else his   
chances of survival would be dim no matter what measures were   
taken. Waiting for him to pull through was not a viable option.  
  
  
Death came slowly in peaceful waves. That seemed wrong to   
him somehow as he always imagined that he would go down quickly   
in a battle and that death would barely register on his mind before   
his life-force extinguished.  
  
Not once did Ranma think of himself as he lay dying. He didn't   
allow himself that luxury. There was time enough for that later if   
there was an afterlife. If there wasn't then agonizing over past   
regrets wasn't going to help him. No, what he thought about was   
the friends and family who would survive him.  
  
Ranma Saotome had lost his fear of death a long time ago, but   
he never was able to handle seeing the death of someone else. It   
wasn't the death that particularly bothered him though that was a   
part of it, it was the pain of the ones that didn't die, the anger at the   
injustice of it all, the sorrow of never being able to make up for   
some stupid argument or fight. Death was the constant that   
haunted all lives and while his own never scared him the possible   
deaths of others was always on his mind.  
  
There were many problems plaguing his life and he could name   
most of the people behind them off the top of his head and while   
they often made him angry he always forgave them. Life was too   
short for grudges and hatreds and he cherished the social contacts   
he'd gained. He never wanted to die with any enmity toward   
anybody. If any of the people he knew felt any regrets or guilt   
toward him in their actions he wanted them to know that he had   
always forgiven them.  
  
He did have a few regrets. Many lives were thrown off-kilter   
because of him and he had never made it up to them. Especially   
Akane's. He was very sorry about that life mainly as he had   
committed many actions he was never proud of in retrospect.  
  
But he had good reason to act the way he did or at least he   
thought so at the time. It was because... because...   
  
...he wanted to spare them the pain. That was why he never   
became close to anyone, why he never made a decision to choose a   
fiancee. It was better to be hated by all than to give so many grief   
if he was ever lost.   
  
But lying there he realized that he gave them grief in life   
because he lived too much in the moment to consider the future.   
He didn't want to take on the responsibilities because he didn't think   
he would ever had the time to fix things if he mucked up.  
  
A thought occurred to him and if he could have he would have   
laughed at the irony. The way he ran his life from the people he   
associated with to the behavior he exhibited could be traced back to   
a single cause.  
  
Maybe he had a fear of death after all. (6)  
  
  
There was silence on the field. Cautiously, people began   
trickling out of the gymnasium and headed toward the center   
of the field. They came within a few feet of the body and no   
further. No one said a word, out of respect, out of shock, or   
most likely both. They stared at the person who for the past   
two years had managed to redefine their concept of reality.   
Some had admired him, some had hated his guts, but all had   
been affected by his presence.  
  
Cologne closed her eyes solemnly. She had said that   
Ranma would be fine but she didn't feel as confident as she   
had made her words sound. The boy was strong, yes, but it   
didn't look like he would survive this encounter. She also   
didn't know if her theory would hold water since *he* was   
the one that was dying.   
  
His heart and breath rate was nonexistent and his ki was   
almost depleted. Ranma had been running on nothing more   
than willpower and his body had taken the toll for it. She   
didn't know how he could have taken such pain and kept on   
going. By all rights, he should have collapsed and died long   
before now. This knowledge gave her a flicker of hope.  
  
He had surprised her before and she hoped he would   
surprise her again. If not, at least her student had acted with   
honor against a truly formidable opponent. Yet Cologne   
couldn't get over what a *waste* it was for one with such   
potential to be cut down so barely in his prime of life.  
  
She heard the Nabiki girl begin screaming out for anyone   
who knew CPR to step forward. She saw Akane just shut her   
eyes as if trying to block out... everything. That sight alone   
gave her a deep pang of guilt. Cologne hadn't known that her   
feelings went so deep.  
  
The din of mumbling was everywhere. Several people   
stepped forward. Cologne noted that Ukyou was among them;   
but, she was hesitant and there was no joy or elation on her   
face at the prospect of locking lips with Ranma. This   
situation was too serious for such foolishness.  
  
Akane was still staring blankly off into space. The old   
woman hated to do this but in all her experience as a healer   
she found it was easier for people to accept the truth if they   
were told from the onset exactly what to expect. Putting it off   
only made things worse; but, looking at the short-haired girl   
she saw that it wouldn't do any good.  
  
Ukyou had tilted Ranma's head back and cleared out his   
air passage. After giving two full breaths into his mouth and   
checking for a pulse, she positioned her hands over his   
sternum and started compressing his chest. The chef fell into   
a rhythmic pattern of breathing, pulse checking, and   
compressions. Minutes passed. Many students had already   
gone to call for help and the sound of sirens in the distance   
could be heard. Where had they been before?  
  
Ukyou finally settled back with a defeated look on her face.  
She said wearily, "I'm doing the best I can but I need help   
here. Ranma needs like a jolt or something to get his heart   
started. Where's the damn ambulance?"  
  
"If it's a shock he needs..." Ranma(C) said slowly as she   
kneeled down besides Ranma. A blue aura appeared around   
her as she concentrated, the swirling energy was pulsing   
around her hands and was being contained. Instead of making   
it blast out in a ki ball, she struggled to hold it within the   
palms of her hands.  
  
Cologne was watching this scene with great interest. "Are   
you sure that you can do this, daughter in law? You may end   
up blasting a hole through him."  
  
"Shut up, old ghoul," Ranma(C) replied straining to   
contain the energy she was pouring into her fingertips. She   
didn't have time to wonder about Cologne's title for her.   
Ranma(C) gritted her teeth and put her glowing hands to   
Ranma's chest. Saying a brief prayer she released the energy   
into him. Ranma went into convulsions but Ranma(C) grimly   
continued as she had no other choice. Akane tried to hold   
back her sobbing as nothing happened. Ranma now had a   
glow around him but it was dim and fading.  
  
Could she do it? Cologne wondered. Could this actually   
worked? She felt so tired, so drained from today's events.   
Her body felt so heavy and it was getting harder to think. It   
was the oddest thing but people were slowing down for some   
reason and the air around her was stopping its movement   
draping itself around her like an oppressive cloak. The old   
woman slowly opened her mouth in surprise and pushed her   
hand through the lead-like air to reach her staff.   
  
She needed to act quickly. Grabbing her staff, she drew on   
the power contained within and used her abilities to fight off   
its influence. Creating some breathing space, she isolated   
herself from the enchantment pervading the field. There was   
obviously a foreign magic here trying to slow the passage of   
time. This was above the power of mere demigods or even   
that minor demon that Ranma had just destroyed. It also felt   
so familiar. Cologne stood still. If she was right then...  
  
There was a distortion in the air and two blurry figures   
appeared out of the air...  
  
=============================================  
  
Points to Cover:  
  
1) It is commonly accepted that Ranma's Chestnut Fist can break   
the sound barrier. Grabbing fish out of a lake without getting your   
hands wet or snatching chestnuts from a burning fire without   
getting burnt seems to require a certain amount of speed. In that   
case, the laws of physics would demand that every time the   
technique is executed, Ranma's arms should be burned off by   
friction and sonic booms should shake the area. Therefore, he is   
protected from these effects. Unfortunately, I can't claim I thought   
of this. I took the idea from some other Ranma 1/2 fiction. Oops!   
Probably shouldn't have said that...  
  
2) This is just a conjecture of mine but Ranma does seem to be   
awfully wary of boiling water and scorching flames. Of course any   
reasonable person is and I'm probably reading into it but for   
someone like Ranma to react as he does (think first anime episode   
where Soun attempts to pour boiling water on Ranma, the Full Body   
Cat Tongue and Chestnut Fist storylines) there may be more to it...   
  
3) Ranma has very good powers of memory. He can learn anything   
quickly as long as he is sufficiently motivated. In the later manga,   
Ranma is able to learn techniques just by seeing them once. He   
learned the Umisen-ken from just one session with his father and   
from reading a short scroll. I'm sure he learned the Yamasen-ken   
from Ryu Kumon the same way. Now here's the tricky part. If   
Ranma has the power to remember, does he also have the power to   
forget? Ranma does have a poor memory when it comes to   
remembering certain things but that doesn't necessarily prove   
anything. No, what I'm talking about is why Ranma never used   
either the Umisen-ken or the Yamasen-ken even when fighting   
against someone like Saffron. Other people just chalk his non-use   
up to his promise with Kumon but I don't buy it. Promise or not,   
Ranma wouldn't play with someone else's life like that unless he   
literally *couldn't* use the techniques.   
  
4) Demon God Assault Bomb. I am aware of the irony.  
  
5) Have you ever thought about how the Umisen-ken (quiet thief)   
and the Yamasen-ken (noisy thief) don't really seem like they would   
go together? But since they're supposed to go together, the whole   
must be more powerful than the halves, wouldn't they? Thus, there   
must be hidden aspects to both Genma never told his son about.   
Besides, I need this to be true for a future chapter I'm writing so : P !  
  
6) Ranma Saotome isn't a character one would normally say acts   
like he's waiting for death. He isn't but as all those in dangerous   
occupations he is one who knows and expects that it could come at   
any moment. Take a look at his life and you can see why he allows   
Fate to push him around. He can't afford to think of tomorrow or   
the long-term consequences of his actions. One would think that   
someone who only lived for today would be more decisive but   
Ranma doesn't like to take action unless he's sure he'll see the   
consequences. Ranma doesn't take half-measures; either it's done   
all the way or it's not done at all. If you look at Ranma(C)'s   
explanation in Chapter 3, you'll see this isn't that different.  
  
7) EXTRA POINT FOR THOSE WONDERING: Do I take   
Ranma 1/2 too seriously? YES and NO!!! Yes, in that I nitpick   
over everything but Trekkies, Sherlockians, and anime otaku have   
been doing that for years! By the way, I also happen to be all of the   
above so that probably explains why I'm so crazy. (Ah, man, I'm a   
nerd! NOOO!!!) Anyway, it's No, in that I don't take the characters   
so seriously I write things like 'The Bitter End' by Zen and 'Waters   
Under the Earth' by Alan Harnum. Good stories but *very* heavy,   
not to mention depressing! I couldn't do that. And yes, I talk too   
much, I agree. 


	7. Inner Reflections

funvince@hotmail.com  
http://www.angelfire.com/anime2/ranmanexus/ranmaweb/splits.html  
  
This series take place after the events depicted in volume 38   
of the Ranma manga but also draws ideas from the anime.  
Or was it the other way around? I keep contradicting   
myself on this issue for some reason!  
  
The characters of the Ranma 1/2 universe are the creation of  
the talented Rumiko Takahashi and are owned by her and  
Shogagukan, Kitty and Viz Communications.  
  
I am using them for *sob* NON-PROFIT! So please don't   
punish this poor excuse for a writer. :)  
  
The characters that are not a part of Ranma 1/2 canon were  
created or adapted by the twisted mind of Vincent Nguyen.   
  
***********************************************  
  
THE SPLITTING: A RANMA 1/2 FANFICTION  
  
CHAPTER VII: INNER REFLECTIONS   
  
By Vincent Nguyen  
  
***********************************************  
  
-Chapter 7-  
  
Solidifying out of the air were the shapes of a man and a   
woman. Normally, this would have been an extremely curious   
sight for anyone watching but since time had been halted no   
one took any notice.  
  
The woman appeared first, clad in a simple white cotton   
dress. She was tall, taller than most women Japanese or   
otherwise, extremely beautiful, and her posture was straight   
showing an immense inner strength. There was a proud look in   
her almost black eyes that softened when she saw the body   
and took on the light of extraordinary kindness. She turned to   
her companion with a thoughtful expression on her face.   
  
The man who had appeared was exceptionally handsome   
with dark eyes and brown hair. His face was marked with smile   
lines but his current expression showed that laughter was the   
farthest thing from his mind. His brooding eyes were downcast   
and his posture was slumped as if a huge weight was pulling   
him down toward the earth.  
  
The pair took the opportunity to take in the frozen scene   
before them. The crowd of men, women, and children who had   
been talking, crying, or just plain moving were now statues,   
locked in the position they had been in a few minutes ago. The   
movement of the wind, the clouds, and everything else within a   
ten-mile radius had been put on hold at the whim of beings that   
were outside the normal sphere of nature.  
  
The woman who reluctantly went by the name of Cindy   
noticed that the taller man wore a stiff black suit such as one   
might have worn to a funeral. She said gently, "Why are you   
dressed like that, Ned? He's not dead yet."  
  
Ned replied solemnly, "At the moment, he is clinically dead.   
The next few moments will determine whether he stays that way."  
  
"Why don't you just save him Ned? Discreetly of course.   
It's within our power to reverse death as long as the soul still   
resides in the body."  
  
Ned smiled sadly. "It may be within our power but we no   
longer have the authority to do so. It wouldn't be right."  
  
"What are you talking about? We have the authorization to   
do anything *necessary* to help Saotome. We *need* him.   
If you won't help him I will!" Cindy took a step toward the boy.  
  
"No! We can not interfere!" Ned's eyes held an intense gaze.  
"In my way, I am helping him. By leaving his fate in his own   
hands for once. If he has the strength of will and desire to live   
then he will. Only he has the right to make that decision. If I   
saved him you would still insist on using him wouldn't you?"  
  
The woman hesitated as conflicting emotions ran through   
her. Finally, she replied, "I'm sorry but you know that there is   
no other option. And not to sound cruel, but if he dies here, we   
would simply use the other Ranma. Why not just save this one?"   
  
Ned said forcefully, "But we are talking about *this* Ranma   
right now. We are not talking about future what ifs, we are   
talking about the present. For once in his life he deserves a   
choice. He may choose to accept an honorable warrior's death.   
This is a relatively more peaceful and less painful death than   
what may happen to him if he goes on with what we have in   
mind, especially if we force him.  
  
"He was forced to kill again for the second time at such a   
young age. If he can't handle it now he won't be able to do   
what's necessary in the future. Personally, I would hate to see   
someone with such potential be reduced to a killing machine."  
  
"I don't understand why he showed such remorse over   
killing a demon. Despicable creatures," Cindy said disgusted.  
  
Ned looked sharply at her. "Demons, gods, and humans   
have more in common than one might think."  
  
"Stop treating me like I'm the enemy," Cindy snapped. "I   
love these kids just as much as you maybe even more but that   
doesn't change the fact that they are needed."  
  
"Thus you prove my point," Ned said shaking his head sadly.   
He pointed down at the ground. "You say the demon is evil.   
Because it's from Hell and demons are obviously evil?"  
  
"It just tried to kill that boy there!" Cindy protested.  
  
"But you know very well why it did it. Not everything is   
black and white, Cynthia. This agent has taken only those who   
deserved to die for their actions. That was its function and the   
function of Hell is to take those who are too weak to rise from   
their depravity. Hell gives out swords for people like Hitler and   
Genghis Khan to use but those swords are always double-edged.  
Hell only supplies the rope that its users would use to kill but   
at the same time hang themselves with."  
  
"Without Hell, there would be no temptation and thus no   
evil committed," Cindy replied, giving him an even look and   
not allowing any trace of emotion to show on her face.   
  
Ned gave her an exasperated look at her baiting him. "Don't   
insult my intelligence. You know as well as I that what would   
happen is that the evil that is generated by the human soul   
would go unchecked and vast amounts of unqualified souls  
would make it to Heaven. I agree with you that the methods   
used are distasteful but there must be balance! If you must   
blame someone, blame humanity for causing this whole mess   
in the first place."  
  
"I didn't say that they weren't necessary. I merely wondered   
why anyone would mourn getting rid of such a menace."  
  
"Killing is killing no matter who is at the receiving end.   
But this is not the time for a debate for the ramifications on the   
nature of good and evil!"  
  
Cindy looked like she wanted to explode but then abruptly,   
she went calm as something occurred to her. "This is really   
affecting you, isn't it? If they mean so much to you then why   
did you insist they be the ones? Especially Ranma? Why him?   
He's a wild card. His lifestyle is too wild and chaotic."  
  
Ned sighed heavily looking down at the dying teen. He said,   
"Do you really have to ask? It's because of who and what he  
is, a Nexus. That's why his life is so out of the ordinary. That's   
part of the reason why it has to be him. Out of all the humans   
who have ever lived throughout history only a select few can   
be what you call extraordinary.   
  
"He has the most potential. There may be others more powerful   
and skilled but they are too rigid in their thinking and too sure   
of themselves. They do not possess the experience that Ranma   
has dealing with what is beyond the norm. Also, Ranma is not   
as arrogant as many believe. He knows his limitations and   
strives to overcome them. There are other reasons, but why it   
needs to be Saotome is immaterial at the moment. But it   
*needs* to be him and that's why I sold him out."  
  
A worried expression flashed across Cindy's face then   
quickly vanished. "Don't put so much pressure on yourself   
Ned. No one is truly irreplaceable. That's why we have other   
groups searching the rest of the planet. It may not be   
necessary to use him after all. Besides, I'm not sure that Ranma   
really has the right mindset for this. He thinks he defeated a   
god or at least a demi-god. The last thing we need is for the   
boy to get a swelled head and get himself killed."  
  
Ned jabbed a finger at the field and said, "Does that look like   
the actions of an arrogant, overconfident mortal? No! He   
knows that Saffron wasn't even at his full power as the Phoenix.  
Believe me, Ranma knows how close to death he came. That   
knowledge has helped make him a better fighter. His most   
recent fight not only proved that but cemented what he already   
knows. That he is not invincible."  
  
He turned to face Cindy more directly. "Our job is never   
done, is it? Why must we keep involving the very people we're   
trying to protect?"  
  
"You know why," Cindy said. "We are powerful but we   
were created with too many limits and no real room for growth.   
Our weaknesses are too well documented and we are unsuited   
for these types of battles. Only extraordinary human beings   
can do this task. There's always going to be a need for heroes."  
  
"I agree," a voice behind them said.  
  
Ned and Cindy turned around and then looked down to see   
a diminutive old woman balancing herself on a staff. An   
instantaneous transmission past between the two entities at   
this point. Cindy demanded to know how and why this old   
woman was talking to them and Ned reassuring her it was all   
right. A second later, Cindy stepped back allowing Ned control   
of the conversation.  
  
A delighted expression flashed over Ned's face. "Is that you   
Khu Lon? I haven't seen you in a good 150 years!"  
  
"As youthful as always I see," Cologne said chuckling.   
"How are you Prometheus?"  
  
Several emotions flickered across his face. Then Ned   
grimaced and said in a warning tone, "I go by Ned now."  
  
Cologne looked puzzled for a moment than comprehension   
lit up her face. "My apologies... Ned. I don't like to judge but   
that name is rather plain compared to some of your earlier   
pseudonyms. Too gaijin for one thing."  
  
"It's actually an acronym. Wait until you find out what it   
stands for," Ned said then promptly told her. "It's N.E.D. as in   
Norse, Egyptian, and Greek Deities. It's the name of the council   
I was placed in charge of."  
  
Cologne frowned in thought. "My English is a little rusty   
but I thought there wasn't a 'G' in Ned."  
  
"There isn't but there doesn't need to be," Ned explained.   
"G stands for Greek and I'm Greek. That should cover that part."  
  
Cindy rolled her eyes. "That was stupid the first time you   
explained it to me and it's stupid now." In an aside to Cologne,   
she stage whispered, "Personally, I think he severely   
overestimated his knowledge of the English language."  
  
Cologne chuckled. "It figures that he would do something   
like that." Then she grew serious. "I suspected the influence   
of your kind. There have been so many odd occurrences,   
odder than usual anyway. This separation can't be attributed   
to any person I know of who hasn't shown up in all this time.   
Happosai was obviously a pawn in some bigger schemer's plan.   
How much are you responsible for?"  
  
"Not as much as you think," Ned replied. "I provided a   
catalyst but didn't directly interfere. I've learned my lessons."  
  
"Yes, you just work from the shadows now," Cologne said   
drolly.  
  
"It's safer and the point is not to be controlling. Picture a   
dam, Khu Lon, that has been steadily filling up with water over   
a long period of time. The pressure is constantly building up   
and no matter how strong a barrier is, it will burst and spill forth.  
The dam was already set to burst; I just added a nudge."  
  
"In other words, you added the straw that broke the camel's   
back. Do you mean to say that other than that you had nothing   
to do with Ranma's recent behavior? Either of them?"  
  
Ned paused just a little longer than necessary. "That   
depends on what you mean. I set events in motion and I do   
expect certain results but all I do I is speed up the natural   
process and cut out the excess violence. It gets tiresome after  
a while, don't you agree?  
  
"Incidentally, Khu Lon, how would you know that either   
Ranma is deviating from their normal states unless you were   
somehow keeping track of them?" Ned asked. "Come on, you   
can tell me. From one master manipulator to another."  
  
Cologne stared at his innocent expression and shook her   
head. "Out of all the gods I had to meet in my youth it had to   
be you."   
  
Ned said to Cindy, "Don't mind her. Khu Lon has rather lofty   
images for our kind and she was disappointed when I shattered   
her expectations. I explained that we were gods, not Gods..."  
  
"Meaning that you're just as petty and selfish as us mortals   
but you have the power to destroy the world if you so desired,"  
Cologne said cutting in.  
  
"More or less," Ned replied shrugging. "It depends on your   
rank."  
  
Cindy said, "If its helps, I know how you feel. I've been   
stuck with him longer than you can imagine."  
  
"Seriously, Ranma defeated a *god*, Cologne. Even if   
Saffron wasn't particularly strong as gods go, this sort of thing   
hasn't been done by anyone in an extremely long time. Don't   
you think that a council of entities like us wouldn't have   
noticed?" Ned asked.  
  
"But why hasn't all this been organized by the Japanese or   
even the Chinese deities?" Cologne asked.  
  
Ned squirmed uncomfortably. "I'm afraid that many of them   
are rather busy at the moment. But they are involved. This is   
more of a global effort than ever before and many differences   
have been cast aside. Divisions have broken down. My group   
has been granted full access into Japanese territory in order to  
help with the threat."  
  
"Then it's true a menace is coming," Cologne said diving   
into the heart of the matter.  
  
"You have no idea how bad it is," Ned said.  
  
"Give me an example of how bad things really are so I can   
judge for myself," Cologne said staring at him skeptically.   
"Your kind tends to overreact to situations that turn out to be   
not that threatening after all."  
  
Ned's face began to turn red. His relaxed demeanor began to   
crumble. He said tightly, "You want to know how bad things   
are? Try this on for a size. Hell has been take over. Satan,   
Lucifer, Old Scotch, whatever you call him has been dethroned.   
The only thing keeping the Gates of Hell from unleashing   
unimaginable horrors onto this plane of existence are all the   
major gods straining to keep the dimensional barriers from   
falling. And you want to know the worst part?"   
  
Ned lowered his face so he could look directly into the   
diminutive woman's eyes. "You're going to love this! Hell's   
attempt to breach the barriers is only a diversionary tactic to   
draw off the main forces! The true menace has yet to manifest   
and when it does all that will stand before it is our band of   
inferior, misfit gods and whatever humans we managed to   
swing to our side. Is that enough of a threat for you, Khu Lon?"  
  
There was silence from the ancient matriarch. Her   
expression hadn't changed an iota and it seemed like she   
wasn't going to reply at all. Finally, out in a choked whisper,   
she murmured quietly, "Oh my."  
  
That seemed the best way to sum up the situation.   
  
  
Ranma(C) gritted her teeth and put her glowing hands to   
Ranma's chest. Saying a brief prayer she released the energy   
into him. Ranma went into convulsions but Ranma(C) grimly   
continued as she had no other choice. Akane tried to hold   
back her sobbing as nothing happened. Ranma now had a   
glow around him but it was dim and fading.  
  
More energy was poured into him as Ranma(C) said angrily,  
"Don't give up on me now! Wake up! I can't believe you! You   
didn't get this far and survived this long only to die from this!   
Come on!"   
  
There was still no response.  
  
Ranma(C), her hands still glowing with ki, grabbed the lapels   
of Ranma's Chinese shirt and shook him around. She pulled   
him in and said in a strained voice, "Come on, man. You're   
stronger than this. I wouldn't give up. Why should you?"   
  
A hand wrapped around Ranma(C)'s arm. Akane gently   
pulled Ranma's body out of Ranma(C)'s grip and lowered him   
to the ground. She knelt down by his side and grabbed his   
hand. Gazing at his face, she tried to quell the turmoil that was   
rumbling around inside her when she fully saw the damages   
Ranma had taken. She searched for even a spark of life to   
animate those lifeless eyes staring back at her.  
  
"Please, Ranma."  
  
An increasing number of people were leaving. Those unable   
to watch this scene were silently drifting away with their heads   
bowed and their shoulders slumped. But then Akane's plead hit   
them, carried out by the wind. They paused and they decided   
to wait. It was the least that could be done.  
  
Sweat was dripping off Ranma(C)'s forehead as she tried to   
summon her ki to her aid. She was still weak and her body's   
stores were still not as replenished as she would have liked.   
But it would have to be enough. She placed her hands on her   
counterpart's chest and muttered, "This is for all the marbles."  
  
Ranma(C) shot a look to Akane and Ukyou, a look that   
clearly said to back off. Ukyou stopped with her ministrations   
and sat back on her haunches with a worried look in her brown   
eyes. Akane wordlessly released Ranma's hand.  
  
Tensing her body then instantly relaxing it, she released the   
almost crackling blue energy. Ranma's body once more shook.   
Ranma(C) sent another wave into him then another, each one   
stronger than the last. Her eyes were now glowing as arcs of   
current traveled up and down Ranma's body. Then quite   
suddenly, she stopped. The aura around her faded and she fell   
back onto the grass.   
  
"That's all I can do," Ranma(C) muttered closing her eyes.   
"It's up to him now."   
  
As if in response, a wheezing sound erupted from Ranma's   
mouth. Ukyou instantly checked for a heartbeat. A faint stutter   
had started inside and slowly but surely, it was growing   
stronger. Ukyou cried, "We have a pulse!"   
  
Ignoring the cheering that was now occurring from the   
students of Furinkan High, Ranma(C) forced herself into a   
sitting position to see this with her own eyes. Ranma was now   
glowing the same shade of blue as his counterpart and his   
natural color had returned to his face.   
  
Ranma(C) gave a great sigh of relief and was about to take a   
nap when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Akane. The   
girl was staring at her, her eyes filled with some unidentifiable   
emotion. She whispered, "Thank you, Ranma."  
  
"It was nothing," Ranma(C) tried to say but Akane shushed   
her before she could get the words out fully.  
  
"No, it was everything," Akane said. She looked like she   
wanted to say more but then her eyes fluttered and she swayed   
a little on her feet. "I feel tired."  
  
Ranma(C) smiled then said, "I know the feeling. Big events   
can do that to you."  
  
Akane didn't seem like she heard her anymore. She slowly   
reached down and took hold of Ranma's hand. Ranma(C) didn't   
comment; she couldn't have even if she wanted to. Ranma(C)   
watched in fascination as Akane leaned down over Ranma's   
body and promptly fell over on her side into the grass.  
  
Waves of emotion bombarded the remaining girl's mind.   
There was one feeling that she refused to recognize as jealousy   
and another of... disappointment? But overriding all of them   
was concern. Ranma(C) quickly determined Akane's state of   
being and sighed in relief. Apparently, the Tendo girl had   
finally succumbed to her injuries at that... moment. Once again   
Ranma(C) knew without a doubt that someone up there had it in   
for him, uh, her.  
  
The sound of sirens cut through her introspection and the   
clamor of the swelling celebration. The noise cut out   
immediately. At least a couple dozen students ran out to meet   
the arriving ambulances while others ran out to the gym where   
those injured by the destruction done to the school were   
currently housed.  
  
"It's about time they got here," Ranma(C) said angrily as she   
tried to stand up. Nabiki who was watching her rolled her eyes.   
"Haven't we already been through this? Either you stay down   
this time or I'll get Cologne to *treat* you again."  
  
"Where is Cologne anyway?" Ranma(C) asked turning her   
head left and right. "I could have sworn she was just right  
here a few minutes ago."  
  
Nabiki was nonplussed at this observation and she too   
quickly glanced around. Before she could attempt to offer an   
explanation, a nondescript boy with shady brown hair   
interrupted her. It was Hiroshi. He was looking a bit paler than   
usual and was breathing heavily. He tried to speak through his   
hyperventilating but called up a coughing fit instead. Nabiki   
signaled him to try to catch his breath then turned to Ranma(C).  
  
"One of my informants," Nabiki informed Ranma(C).   
  
"Hiroshi's one of your informants!" Ranma(C) yelled,   
disbelief and astonishment warring for control of her face.  
  
"Well, he's not qualified enough to be part of my regular   
staff but he's useful enough for me to erase part of his   
constantly accumulating debt whenever we get together,"  
Nabiki explained. "Besides, where did you think I got so much   
of my info on you from?"  
  
Leaving a sputtering redhead behind them, a smirking future   
CEO and her extremely nervous subordinate walked a little bit   
away from the crowd. Hiroshi gave a fearful glance back at  
Ranma(C) then said, "Nabiki, did you really have tell him like   
that? I don't want him to get the wrong impression of me. I   
mean, I never told you anything you wouldn't have eventually   
found out anyway."  
  
Nabiki patted him gently on the arm. "But you should see   
the look on her face! I couldn't pass an opportunity like that by.  
Don't worry about it, 'Roshi. I'll explain everything to her later.   
Didn't you have something you needed to tell me?"  
  
"That's right!" Hiroshi said excitedly. "The paramedics can't   
get through! There's some strange guy walking around   
keeping them from entering through the gate!"  
  
There was a look of interest and apprehension on Nabiki's   
face as she asked, "Did he have a weapon? Was he holding   
someone hostage?"  
  
"No, he didn't have anything. It's really weird. Whenever   
one of the medics try to get past him, this guy just stares at   
them and they back off. I don't understand it."  
  
Nabiki gave him a skeptical look and asked, "Are you telling   
me that one unarmed man is keeping a team of trained   
professionals at bay by looking at them funny?"  
  
Hiroshi floundered for an answer. "I know it sounds stupid   
but that's what's happening!"  
  
"I have to see this for myself," Nabiki muttered as she   
started running toward the gates of the school. Turning her   
head back, she yelled, "Good job, Hiroshi. Oh, since you're up   
get the rest of the gang together. I'm going to need a   
preliminary report by tomorrow morning on how bad this   
monster attack is going to affect business."  
  
Nabiki watched as the boy nodded then quickly ran off in   
the other direction and smiled. It was good to feel like she was  
in control again.   
  
In front of the gates stood a tall, extremely pale gentleman.   
Gentleman was the appropriate word for though he was dressed   
in a simple black shirt and pants, he still carried himself with a   
strong air of dignity. He looked foreign and Nabiki couldn't   
place his exact origins but his strong cheekbones and   
prominent nose suggested Western European.  
  
She couldn't make out what he was saying to all the people   
who had arrived in ambulances, police cars, and the like but   
whatever it was it seemed to be very compelling because not a   
single uniformed man or woman was moving. They seemed to   
be in some kind of trance as their eyes were glazed over and   
they weren't reacting to any of the cries the students behind   
the fence were yelling.  
  
Nabiki grew angry. She didn't need this crap! This guy   
obviously had some sort of hypnotic power and he could even   
be dangerous but she didn't really care. There was an   
overwhelming need within her to take charge of a situation, any   
situation, like she always did and show that she was in control.  
  
The girl marched up to the older man and yelled, "Hey  
buster! I don't know who you think you are but there are   
injured people in there! I'm not in a particularly good mood   
right now and I don't need this aggravation. If you don't step   
aside right now, I'm sure I can convince some of the resident   
martial artists to... to..."  
  
The man turned his head and stared directly into Nabiki's   
eyes. A primitive instinct immediately sent a red flag through  
Nabiki's mind and she involuntarily retreated back a few steps.   
She was barely able to suppress the urge to shiver as she   
forced herself to meet him eye-to-eye.  
  
The eyes staring back at her were as empty as a void. They   
were dead, no more alive than the lifeless eyes Ranma had   
possessed just scant moments before. The stranger regarded   
her and he smiled pleasantly; but his eyes were still cold, still   
empty, giving a ring of falsity to the expression. There was   
nothing pleasant about the smile. It was a smile that a predator   
gave to its prey. Nabiki tore her eyes away.  
  
If the man noticed, he didn't give a sign. He said, "A   
pleasure to meet you, Nabiki Tendo. I've been expecting you.   
It is rather an honor for me to meet someone of your abilities."   
He smiled again.  
  
The brunette sought to restore her bearings and compose   
herself. Even so, she avoided looking him in the eye though   
that went against all the principles she held. She said levelly,   
"You have the advantage of me, sir. You evidently know my   
name but I'm afraid I can't reciprocate in kind, Mister..."  
  
"You may call me Virgil," the man's smile widened further   
revealing the presence of some extremely sharp looking canines.  
  
Nabiki's eyes widened but she struggled to stay calm. She   
said casually, "Nice fangs you got there, Virgil. You wouldn't   
happen to be related to a Ryouga Hibiki would you?"  
  
The man gave a deep sounding laugh that sent chills down   
her spine. "I see that your reputation has not been exaggerated,   
Miss Tendo. Not many would have your courage and wit after   
the horrifying experience you had just gone through."  
  
"What is it you want?" Nabiki asked resisting the urge to   
clench her teeth.  
  
"Merely to talk, my dear," Virgil said as he took a few steps   
closer toward Nabiki. She stared at him defiantly refusing to   
give any more ground. He stepped past her as if that was his   
intention all long, forcing her to turn around to see him. He   
clasped his hands behind his back then said, "I am an   
investigator of sorts. It has come to my attention that a -what's   
the word?- a supernatural agency of some kind had just visited   
these grounds. Would either of the Ranma Saotomes be   
available for some questioning at this time?"  
  
Nabiki kept her face controlled as she thought quickly. Then  
she replied, "I'm afraid that neither of them are in any condition to   
face you or anyone else for that matter. But if you would like to   
make an attempt go ahead." She smiled sweetly.  
  
Virgil took a glance at the deep scruff line the gates had long   
since sunk into the ground. He raised his right foot toward the  
line as if he was about to cross it but then he put his foot down   
back where it was. He said, "That's perfectly all right. A pity   
they're not feeling well. But I suddenly find myself more   
interested in conversing with you."  
  
"I'm flattered," Nabiki said anything but so. The gentleman   
put a chalky hand into his pocket and withdrew a small,   
rectangular piece of cardboard. "My card."   
  
After taking the card from his long, slender hand with her   
fingertips, Nabiki raised an eyebrow as she read the card.   
"Tokyo Paranormal Agency?"  
  
"It is a strange name, I grant you. If you ever want to talk,   
my address and phone number is printed on the back." He   
turned and started to walk away but he paused. "I find it very   
interesting that your principal lives on school grounds. But   
then you already knew that didn't you? You're a clever girl,   
Nabiki Tendo. But all your cleverness can't prevent you from   
being intrigued by me. Ultimately, you and I both know that we   
will meet again. Your curiosity will allow nothing else. This is   
only the beginning."  
  
He shot her a penetrating look and gave what only could have  
been called a leer. "I look forward to seeing more of you."  
  
As she watched him walk away into the mist, Nabiki clenched   
her fist crumbling the card in her hand. Damn that bastard but   
he was right. This wasn't over.  
  
  
"This is an interesting development," Cologne said as she   
watched these events unfold from her position. It was also   
fascinating that she was in plain sight of everyone yet no one   
was aware she was there. This wasn't like some invisibility   
technique. It was more accurate to say that she was like a ghost.  
  
"I guess he chose to live," Ned said softly as he watched the   
ambulances pulled away.  
  
Cologne regarded him curiously. "Was there ever any doubt?"  
  
"Not really. It wouldn't be like him to give up," Ned replied.   
His expression was unreadable.  
  
"I don't want to offend," Cologne said carefully, "but wasn't   
one of the reasons you are on Earth to prevent the outbreak of   
demon attacks on the human population?"  
  
Ned nodded slowly as Cologne continued, "I was just   
wondering how hard it would be for a god of your current rank   
to banish a minor demon?"  
  
"Even with my current reduced power not that difficult," Ned  
replied uneasily, not meeting Cologne's eyes.  
  
"Please do not tell me that you allowed that creature to attack   
this school," Cologne said harshly with her eyes narrowed. "Do  
not tell me that you stood by and did nothing when you had the   
power to prevent all of this."  
  
"Gods and demons," Ned said under his breath to himself.   
He raised his head to face Cologne directly. He asked gently,   
"What is it you want me to say, Khu Lon?"  
  
Cologne saw the anguish hidden in his eyes and she faltered   
but then she steeled herself. She said evenly, "I understand   
how it's necessary to use people sometimes. I've done it in the   
past when I had no other choice. Sometimes in this world the   
ends do justify the means. But then you have to ask yourself   
when the dust has settled was that your only option?"  
  
She had never felt so tired. Old memories she thought had   
long since been buried were bubbling to the surface. She said   
not bothering to hide the weariness in her voice, "So tell me, Ned,  
why this was necessary. I have never approved of gods using   
humans to do their ugly work when they could do it themselves   
with a simple snap of the fingers."  
  
"This isn't like that, Khu Lon," the god said quietly.  
  
"Then what is it like?" Cologne challenged.  
  
Ned sighed. "It would be better to show you. Cindy, would   
you mind giving her the tour?"  
  
"Of course not," Cindy replied with surprising tenderness.   
Ned turned and walked away, becoming more translucent with   
each step he took until he disappeared entirely.  
  
The two females evaluated each other. Finally Cologne said,  
"I didn't mean to upset him like that. I didn't think he would take   
it so hard. I just needed to know."  
  
"I understand," Cindy replied. "But you're not seeing the   
whole picture. It really isn't what you think, you have to believe that.  
I would probably react the same way in your position but you have to   
understand that this is killing him. He's under a lot of stress right now.   
I have never seen Ned so serious. He's usually such a big joker."  
  
"I know," Cologne said.   
  
There was another awkward silence until Cindy said lightly,   
"So his real name is Prometheus, huh? Or at least that was the   
name he used to be known as by the mortals. I didn't know he   
was from that pantheon. I wonder why he never said anything."  
  
"It's a sore subject with him as far as I can tell. I found out   
his real identity quite by accident and he asked me never to   
refer to him by it. I had momentarily forgotten and I wish I   
hadn't. He told me that as an immortal, one tended to build up a   
reputation over time and he did not like being prejudged   
beforehand by strangers."  
  
Cologne paused then continued in an amused tone, "He   
never did tell me the real reason he disliked that identity and I   
knew better than to pry." Her tone changed again. "I had hoped   
he had gotten over it whatever it was."  
  
Cindy didn't reply. What was there to say? Instead, she silently   
slashed her hand through the air and drew a circle. The enclosed   
area of space vanished revealing splashes of color, which Cindy   
briefly blocked the view of as she stepped through it.   
  
The implication was obvious. Cologne gazed at this   
spectacle with some trepidation. It was as though a hole had   
been sliced through the fabric of reality itself. There was a   
chaotic mess of color mixing and swirling throughout this   
artificial tunnel. But underneath this seeming randomness was   
an underlying order which was really quite beautiful to behold.  
  
The patterns were memorizing. She had never seen anything   
like this despite her many years. And she experienced the   
sensation of wonder, at seeing something she had never   
encountered. At her age, surprises were truly something to be   
treasured. Ranma Saotome had been one of those surprises, one   
of the first she had experienced in a very long time. Life had   
truly gotten interesting over the past year.  
  
Cologne found her voice and said to herself, "Well, there are   
worse ways to go. I've had a good life." She resolutely stepped   
through the gateway to destinations unknown.  
  
  
The hospital was quiet at this time of night for the most part.   
The lights had been dimmed, the patients were now sleeping,   
and the remainder of the normally large staff of nurses were   
kicking back and flipping through their magazines. The various   
clickings and beepings of hospital machinery filtered through   
the empty halls as usual and no one took notice of it. No one,   
except for the one woman who was not supposed to be there   
after visiting hours in the first place.  
  
Miss Ninomiya Hinako took comfort in the constant   
humming that pervaded the air around her. These sounds were   
familiar to her and they were oddly soothing. She had spent a   
great deal of her childhood in hospitals so she did not feel the   
fear that many others did when they entered one of them. But   
while she had long since gotten used to the stark, utilitarian   
surroundings that all hospitals seem to hold, the suffering that   
went on daily in establishments like this was something she   
could never ignore.  
  
It had been some time since she had stepped foot in a   
hospital and it had taken a third of the school's population being   
hospitalized for her to do so. Most of them had not even been   
injured by stray fireballs or by being crushed by collapsing walls   
but had hurt themselves and others in their panicked attempts to   
escape. The teacher shook her head sorrowfully. Even the   
martial artists never damaged themselves to the point that they   
had to seek help from anyplace other than Doctor Tofu's clinic.  
  
As she finally stopped in the room containing Nerima's most   
infamous pair, she wondered why she was here at all. She should   
have been at home grading papers but instead she had snuck into   
the hospital, quickly neutralized any guards she couldn't easily   
get past, and room by room methodically made her way to   
Intensive Care where she currently was.   
  
She took in the forms of Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo.   
Their families had grouped them together in the same room and   
Hinako wonder briefly what their reaction would be when they   
woke up. These two were quite possibly her favorite students.   
  
Yes, they were delinquents but in her many years as a   
disciplinarian, she found that delinquents were some of the most   
interesting and *real* people she knew. Most of them were no   
better than barbarians and bullies, but there were a rare few who   
possessed greater qualities and weren't afraid to be different.   
  
Ranma Saotome was one of those individuals. She had never   
met another person who had such a talent for generating chaos.   
He made her seem almost normal by comparison. Ranma had   
almost no eccentric qualities himself outside of his curse but he   
somehow attracted the strangest oddities. In a sense he was like   
Akane who somehow despite her best efforts wound up in the   
center of weirdness. Even before Ranma arrived, she wasn't   
your typical teenage girl, or so Hinako had heard.  
  
The chaos that happened to them wasn't really their fault most   
of the time but they caused enough of their own problems that   
she did have to punish them from time to time. It wouldn't be   
fair to the other students if she let them slide after all. But she   
also helped them in her own way. Crushing Ranma when he got   
too arrogant for his own good or zapping him awake so that she   
could force an education down his throat were some of those   
things. She also encouraged Akane to join the Drama and Fashion   
Clubs to build up her self-esteem, which would work fine until   
Ranma, Kuno, Happosai, etc. would randomly insert themselves   
into the mix of things and put Hurricane Akane on the rampage.  
  
Hinako almost got a headache thinking about all this. In so   
many ways, these two were like five year olds! Best friends one   
minute, at each other's throats the next, then ten minutes later   
they'd completely forgotten what they were so angry about! It   
also slightly worried her that most of the martial artists in the area   
had the emotional maturity of kindergartners. Could there be a   
connection between their family lives and their exhibited   
behavior? They were all the products of botched childhoods after   
all so it wasn't too unlikely.  
  
The sound of footsteps coming down the hallway interrupted   
her reverie. The doorknob to the room began to turn and Hinako   
readied a coin. A figure stepped in and the teacher was surprised.   
"Mrs. Saotome?"   
  
Nodoka Saotome merely nodded in reply and gave a little   
smile. "I see that I'm not the only one who couldn't sleep tonight.   
I just got back to town a few hours ago and I got a message on my   
answering machine saying something had happened to Ranma.   
When I stopped by the dojo, Nabiki told me what happened and I   
came here as soon as I could."  
  
"How did you get past the guards?" Hinako asked curiously.   
She had seen Ranma's mother around the dojo a few times when   
she had visited but she wasn't aware that this tranquil woman had   
any martial skills.  
  
"It wasn't very hard," Nodoka replied. "Security is evidently   
very lax around here. Most of the guards on this floor appeared to   
be sleeping on the job."  
  
Hinako hoped the darkness hid the flush on her face.   
Apparently her ki drains had lasted longer than she estimated. She   
had been in a hurry after all.  
  
The two woman sat in silence for awhile and watched their   
charges sleep. After some time had past, Nodoka turned to look   
at the woman next to her and was a little surprised that she hadn't   
reverted back to child form yet. Hinako noticed this and said,   
"When I'm not doing an activity that requires a great deal of   
energy like I'm doing now, I can stretch out the ki I have longer.   
Was there something you wanted to talk about, Mrs. Saotome?"  
  
Nodoka hesitated a bit. Then she said, "Miss Hinako, you   
have known my son for a very long time. How would you   
describe Ranma?"  
  
"Ranma is... well, Ranma just *is*," Miss Hinako replied   
spreading her hands. "He exists and things happen. Oh yes, he is   
also loyal, honorable, and a good person but I don't think that is   
what you were asking."  
  
"I guess not," Nodoka said quietly and lost herself in her   
thoughts for a few minutes. Then she roused herself and asked,   
"And academically, how is he doing? Akane told me a little   
about my son's progress a while back. It took me quite some   
time to pry the truth out of her! I know that Ranma isn't exactly a   
model student but I wanted to know your thoughts on the matter."  
  
Hinako hesitated. She never liked this aspect of her job. She   
said carefully, "Ranma's a bright student... when he's awake   
anyway." Nodoka gave a small smile at that comment. "Ranma   
has such untapped potential and I know if he really tried he could   
go far. I am a little disappointed that he has been so uninterested   
in learning. Oh, Mrs. Saotome, I'm so sorry to be telling you this.  
It's an old speech used by teachers everywhere and I'm sure   
you've heard it before."  
  
"I've never heard it before," Nodoka said softly, her eyes   
downcast. Hinako misunderstood the true nature of these words   
and she quickly said, "I am not saying that Ranma is a lost cause.   
Far from it! Ranma has learned much in his time at Furinkan.   
It's just that much of his knowledge didn't exactly come from the   
teachers. Mister Saotome's learning methods tend to be well...   
rather unorthodox."  
  
"How so?" Nodoka asked.  
  
Hinako thought the question over then replied, "It'd be easier   
to show you. Have you seen Ranma's last report card?"  
  
"I'm afraid not," Nodoka replied a little embarrassed. "Ranma   
told me that it was destroyed the time some bird people invaded   
the Tendo home and he hadn't had the chance to get a replacement."  
  
"I am so shocked," Hinako deadpanned. Then she sighed.   
"And the scary part is that I believe him about the bird people. It   
doesn't matter. I always carry around records on my problem   
students." She pulled a manila folder out from behind her back.  
  
Nodoka blinked. There were just some things that took longer   
to get used to than others. She took the folder and shuffled   
through it. Ranma's grades were decent, a little low for her tastes   
but not too bad. She was more interested in the comments her   
son's teachers had scribbled in.  
  
"Most of these comments say that Ranma would be a much   
better student if he'd just stay awake," Nodoka said trying to keep   
a straight face. "I may have to institute a bed time if this keeps up."  
  
Miss Hinako also smiled. "I think the problem for Ranma is   
more of boredom than any real weariness. He seems awake   
enough to me whenever one of his rivals or fiancees interrupt   
class. Incidentally, afterwards is usually the time that we get to   
see Saotome's eyes actually paying attention."  
  
Nodoka skimmed down to the more specific comments and   
read aloud,   
  
LANGUAGE ARTS -   
Knows the English language reasonably well.   
  
"The only reason he does is because he's afraid I'll suck him   
dry when he's sleeping," Hinako said. "But I suppose I'm being a   
little unfair to him. He does know how to speak Chinese very well."  
  
"Why?" Nodoka asked.  
  
Hinako furrowed her forehead in thought. "It was something   
along the lines of 'to prevent my fool father from dragging me to   
another Jusenkyo.' And then he started mumbling something   
about old ghouls and stupid Chinese magic."  
  
Nodoka decided not to comment. She continued reading.  
  
Knowledge of mythology is top notch. He appears to be quite   
interested in the supernatural.  
  
Nodoka raised an eyebrow at the teacher. "Know your enemy?"  
  
Hinako nodded. "Exactly. Ranma also has a deep knowledge   
of history at least as it pertains to wars, military tactics, et cetera."  
  
"Yes, his history teacher says here that Ranma would make a   
good Napoleon." Nodoka frowned. "Wasn't Napoleon that short,   
funny-looking fellow?"  
  
"I believe he was referring more to Ranma's tactical abilities,"   
Hinako said gently.  
  
PHYSICAL EDUCATION  
Ranma Saotome is the best athlete I have ever met. He easily   
outpaces the other students in stamina, endurance, coordination,   
et cetera, et cetera.  
  
Nodoka quickly skimmed through the rest as she already knew   
that her son was the best when it came to the physical arena.  
  
SCIENCE  
Biology - Has expert knowledge of human anatomy but that is the   
extent of his participation in this subject.  
  
Chemistry - Does very well in laboratory experiments. Knows   
what constitutes good poisons and knows how to make makeshift   
antidotes. Mr. Saotome claims that he gained this knowledge   
from spending so much time at Dr. Tofu's clinic after consuming   
Kodachi Kuno's potions or Akane Tendo's cooking.  
  
Miss Hinako tried to contain her snickering.  
  
Physics - Knows this subject instinctively but is argumentative and   
has strange views on certain concepts. Unfortunately, since his   
bizarre physical feats can not at this time be explained by   
contemporary physics, it is very hard to grade him when it comes   
to certain theories.  
  
"Such as the theory of gravity," Hinako said snorting.  
  
Nodoka read through the rest of the folder then sat back,   
emotionally exhausted. She finally looked over at the woman next   
to her. "Anything else you would like to add?"  
  
Hinako took a deep breath then said, "As far as I can tell,   
Ranma Saotome will learn almost anything as long as he is   
sufficiently motivated and knows that there will be some practical   
use for the knowledge he gains."   
  
"He knows the material on everything we study and does well   
on tests but he simply refuses to do the work that goes with the   
curriculum. I think it would be best if you had a talk with your   
son on this matter. In all this chaos, he has managed to acquire an   
education of sorts but I don't know how much of a future he can   
have with such a limited one."  
  
Nodoka smiled sadly. "I may be his mother but I am not too   
certain that he will listen to me."  
  
Hinako patted her hand and said, "I think you underestimate   
yourself. I don't know the whole story between Ranma and you   
but you *are* his mother. If you show your concern I think that   
would be enough for him."  
  
"Thank you," Nodoka said simply, too overcome to say   
anything more. She didn't know why but talking to Hinako about   
Ranma, even if it was about something as trivial as grades,   
somehow made her feel so much better. Her son would survive   
because that was the kind of person he was. In the meantime, she   
had the chance to learn more about him. She composed herself   
then said, "Please, can you tell me about my son?"  
  
"That, I will be more than happy to do," Hinako said smiling.  
  
  
Nodoka walked out of Ranma's room deep in thought. There   
was really so much that she didn't know about her son. She very   
much wanted to be a bigger part of his life but he was practically a   
man now and he didn't seem like he needed her help. She had   
waited for so long for the day when she would meet her son but   
now that it came she had no plan for what was to happen after that.  
  
She heard a commotion and the sound of voices.  
  
"Miss, you can't go down there!"  
  
"Stupid guard man not stop Shampoo go see Airen!"  
  
"Shampoo, Ranma's in no condition to see you!"  
  
"Get out of Shampoo's way, spatula girl!"  
  
"If you girls would just calm down..."  
  
Nodoka turned the corner and saw the Chinese Amazon and   
the Japanese chef battling in the halls while the security guards   
pleaded in vain for them to stop.  
  
Kodachi Kuno was off to the side trying to talk her way past   
one of the guards. "Sir, you must let me through. I am Kodachi   
Kuno, belov - uh, friend of one of the patients, Ranma Saotome.   
It is urgent that I see him."  
  
The burly guard was unmoved. "Sorry, lady but I can't allow   
any visitors in right now. It's two o'clock in the morning! Also,   
Mister Saotome is in a critical condition. He can't take any of   
your... enthusiasm right now."  
  
Kodachi sniffed. "Do not think to group me with these   
commoners. The Kuno line is too dignified and refined for such   
antics."  
  
There was the sound of struggling further down the hall.   
"Unhand me you oaf! Be aware that you are manhandling the   
great Tatewaki Kuno, the majestic Blue Thunder and protector of   
the beautiful flower Akane Tendo. Now let me pass or feel the   
wrath of my trusty blade!"  
  
"I need to see the wahine that was hurt! I also want to see   
that naughty Saotome boy too. He needs a trim!"  
  
"Hey watch what you're doing with those shears! My hair! I   
need backup! I got a wacko up here!"  
  
Kodachi put a hand to her face. "And people say that I am   
crazy."  
  
A stray spatula flew past her face and Kodachi saw red. She   
screamed, "You almost scarred the beauty of the radiant Black   
Rose! You will pay!" Ripping off her dress to reveal the leotard   
underneath, she pulled out a razor-sharp ribbon and jumped into   
the fray.   
  
At the same time that the three girls were brawling, Tatewaki   
Kuno was engaging in bokken to blackjack combat while   
Principal Kuno was dragged away, struggling and screaming, by   
half a dozen guards.  
  
Nodoka spoke up softly, "I don't think you should be doing   
that here." The fight raged on. Nodoka repeated her request in a   
louder voice but was still ignored. She frowned. Stronger   
measures were obviously needed. She drew her katana and in one  
incredibly quick motion executed a downward strike while yelling,  
"ZANGEN SEN!"  
  
An immense gust of wind erupted from the tip of her sword  
and flew down the hall at a harrying speed. None of the individuals  
that were fighting had any idea what hit them until it was too late.  
In less than half a minute, the only person standing was Nodoka  
Saotome. The rest were in an unconscious heap down the hall.  
  
Nodoka patiently waited. The Nerima Wrecking Crew woke  
up quickly as they were made of sturdier stuff than the guards that   
had remained knocked out. Once everyone was on their feet, they   
simply stared at the unassuming woman who had done this to them.  
  
Kuno, in particular, was the most shocked of them all. That  
technique was incredible! He could create a similar effect using  
air pressures but that required him to make hundreds of super-fast  
strikes. This woman had done it in only one! And the power  
required to even lift a person, much less a crowd, off their feet had  
to be phenomenal. Kuno lost himself trying to figure out the   
mechanics behind it all.  
  
Nodoka didn't wait for them to regain their senses. "Now that   
I have your attention, I must ask you to be quiet. There are patients   
on this floor that are trying to rest. I understand your desire to see   
your friends but they're still hurt so I must ask you to come back later."  
  
The assembled group started to protest but then stopped.   
Nodoka Saotome could look startlingly like Kasumi at times   
making it very hard to refuse her. The teenagers began shuffling   
down the hall, carefully stepping over unconscious guards.   
  
Suddenly, Nodoka called out, "Could I please speak to Mister   
Kuno and Miss Kuonji?"  
  
"You can call me Ukyou, Mrs. Saotome," Ukyou said   
flustered as she walked up to the woman.   
  
"Nabiki told me everything that happened today," Nodoka said   
to her. "I am so thankful that Ranma had someone like you   
around making sure that he was okay."  
  
"Nabiki told you I saved Ranma?" Ukyou asked startled.  
  
"Well, Nabiki also mentioned that a student she didn't know   
came out of the crowd and helped. Since I don't know the name   
of that girl, I felt that I should at least acknowledge your help. Is   
there anything I can do for you?"   
  
Ukyou flushed. This was completely unexpected. She didn't   
know why Nabiki was hiding Ranma(C)'s existence but she felt it   
was best to play along until she knew better. She said, "I didn't   
do this to get anything. Ranma's my friend. I saw he needed help   
and I knew CPR so I used it."  
  
"Nevertheless," Nodoka said. "I will think of something for   
you. You are one of Ranma's fiancees after all."  
  
Ukyou looked up really animated for the first time in a long   
time. "Did Ranma tell you that?"  
  
"No, Akane did. I must say that I am disappointed in my   
husband for allowing such a situation to occur."  
  
"Oh." Ukyou looked a little disappointed. "Does Ranma ever   
mention me at all?"  
  
Nodoka tapped her index finger on her cheek in thought then   
she snapped her fingers. She said, "He does talk about your   
cooking a lot, especially when Akane tries to make a meal."  
  
When the Saotome matriarch saw that the chef was not going   
to reply, she turned to Kuno and said, "I also must thank you for   
your part in making sure that Nabiki didn't do anything foolish. I   
would have been most upset if something had happened to any   
one of Soun's daughters. Nabiki also told me to thank you for her   
since she suspected that you would be here at the hospital at this   
time of night."  
  
Kuno was flabbergasted at the thought that Nabiki would   
thank him for something, even something as big as saving her life.   
He said weakly, "There is no need for thanks, Mrs. Saotome. I   
did what any honorable warrior would have done. But I am   
flattered that Nabiki Tendo would take the time to express   
gratitude for it is, no offense intended, quite unlike her. In fact-"  
  
"Nabiki also said to tell you that she was going to raise your   
interest rates by fifty percent."  
  
Now this was more like her. "Wha-"  
  
Nodoka rubbed her chin with an exaggerated motion then said,   
"Oh yes. She said that she was going to raise your rates because   
of the way you subdued her. But then she changed her mind since   
you did practically save her life with your actions."  
  
"I am relieved to hear that-" Kuno began.  
  
"Therefore, she decided to raise them by only forty percent in   
light of your bravery."  
  
Kuno's eye twitched. In a strangled voice, he said, "I am   
extremely... underwhelmed by her generosity."  
  
"Nabiki thought you might be," Nodoka said with a twinkle in   
her eye, "and that's why she decided to simply charge you the full   
fifty percent."  
  
As Kuno crashed to the floor in shock, Nodoka smiled to   
herself. Nabiki was right, that was fun! Yes, it was mean but it   
had been such a long time since she had enjoyed herself like that.   
Turning to leave, she heard the Kuno boy call her name. She   
turned back and saw the teenager fumbling for words. Quite   
uncharacteristic of him if the descriptions she heard were true.  
  
"Mrs. Saotome, when you're not busy would you mind   
teaching me that technique you used earlier?" Kuno asked trying   
to sound like he didn't really care but at the same time trying not   
to sound so indifferent that he would seem disinterested in   
actually learning.  
  
"Are you asking me to train you?" Nodoka asked amused.  
  
Kuno was surprised at the question but he considered it.   
Finally, he said, "Yes, if you would have me. Not that there is   
anything wrong with my method of fighting, it's just that one can   
never learn enough." Also, it would be a perfect opportunity to   
get back at Ranma using techniques he learned from his mother,   
he said to himself. In addition to learning a few new moves, this   
was a sound way to find out more about his enemy.  
  
Nodoka drew a pen and a card out of her kimono and   
scribbled something on it. Handing it to Kuno, she said, "This is   
my address. If you are still interested tomorrow, please come by.   
I would be honored to tutor a warrior like you. You seem to be a   
manly boy from all the stories I have heard of you."  
  
Ukyou woke up out of her daze and snorted at this briefly   
before once again relapsing into her thoughts. Kuno glared at her.  
  
After watching Nodoka Saotome leave, Kuno turned to also   
make his exit but then he saw Ukyou still standing in the hallway,   
looking forlorn. Kuno walked over to her and coughed quietly to   
get her attention. When she looked up, Kuno said gently, "Weep   
not for that knave Saotome, fair maiden. He does not deserve   
your tears."  
  
Ukyou quickly wiped her face and replied, "Yeah, you would   
say that. Everybody knows how much you hate Ranma."  
  
Kuno paused for a moment then finally he said, "I do not hate   
Ranma Saotome. But I do dislike him severely. He is arrogant,   
egotistical, and does not give respect to martial artists who have   
worked just as hard as him to get where they are or the females   
who would love him. I can not understand how such a cretin can   
get things so easily without having to work for them."  
  
"You know the saying about the pot and kettle, Kuno? You   
don't understand Ranma. He had a hard life and that's why I   
should be his wife. I'm the best out of all the fiancees. Ranma   
deserves someone like me to take care of him and love him."  
  
Kuno regarded her. "Perhaps. But does he deserve to have   
your love?"  
  
Kuno turned around and walked regally down the hall while   
Ukyou stared at him openmouthed.   
  
"Out of the mouths of idiots," Ukyou muttered as she went   
toward an elevator. She had some thinking to do.  
  
  
BAM! POW! KABOOM!  
  
Sensei Ming Jutuo turned away from the mass of bruises lying   
in the bushes and back to her young student and said in an   
exasperated tone, "This is the fifth time this month your father   
has tried to steal you back."  
  
Chibi-Ranma Saotome looked at his teacher in awe. "Wow!   
Pops never had this much trouble taking me back from a master   
that he leaves me with."  
  
"Does that mean I've proven to you that girls aren't necessarily   
weaker than boys?"   
  
Ranma didn't know how to reply. He didn't want to make his   
sensei mad and she had just beaten up his father so easily but still...  
  
"You don't have to answer, Ranma," Ming said cheerfully.   
"Someday you'll see for yourself that your father isn't always right."   
She took another look at the unconscious man a few feet from her.  
"On second thought, you should consider taking that attitude   
now before it's too late."  
  
"How can you beat Pops like that all the time?" Ranma asked   
curiously. "I mean, you're old!"  
  
The eighty something years old woman looked down at   
Ranma in shock before she burst out in laughter. "You're quite   
the blunt one, aren't you? In answer to your question, I want you   
to think about something. Your father is not only many years   
younger than me but he is also much faster and stronger. So why   
is it that I can consistently defeat him?"  
  
Knowing his father's attitudes, Ranma thought he had a good   
answer. "He underestimates you?"  
  
"Hmm. That may have been true that the first few times we   
clashed but even your father should have learned better by now.   
Even if he held back, he still should have been able to beat me   
quite easily yet he hasn't. Try again."  
  
The boy wrinkled his forehead in intense thought and tried to   
remember exactly what happened every time his dad tried to take   
him back but then he finally admitted he didn't know.   
  
"Your father is holding back more than you ever know," Ming   
said seriously. "There is a fear in him, a fear that has   
contaminated his progress as a martial artist. He will never go   
beyond his current level if he does not discover a way to quell his   
inner turmoil."  
  
"Huh?" Ranma asked intelligibly.   
  
Ming sighed then said, "Never mind. What I was trying to say   
was that in spite of being the head of the Saotome School of   
Anything Goes Martial Arts, your father is sadly predictable. The   
style itself is wonderfully versatile but your father is rigid in his   
tactical thinking and in his methods of attacking. He depends too   
much on dirty tricks and power to subdue me quickly. It isn't his   
moves that were stale but rather his way of thinking. You can   
defeat anyone if you're aware enough to know your opponent's   
moves before he makes them."  
  
"Yeah!" Ranma piped. "You've been teaching me to read   
moves."  
  
"Yes, and you do it astonishingly well but that is only the first   
step toward reaching the plateau where it's not necessary to fight   
at all. Where you get your opponent to defeat himself. You have   
barely scratched the surface."  
  
Chibi-Ranma must have had a dumbfounded look on his face   
for Ming shook off her melancholy air and beckoned the boy over   
to her. "The time I have left with you is rapidly disappearing and   
soon I have to return you to your father. I have managed to hone   
your natural phenomenal talents in my own small way but there's   
still so much you have to learn!"  
  
The elderly woman picked up the boy and placed him on her   
lap. Stroking his hair affectionately, she asked, "Ranma, do you   
remember how a few months ago I taught you chess?" Before he   
could answer, she chided herself by muttering, "Of course you do.   
How silly of me to forget. What was it I taught you, Ranma?"  
  
The boy wrinkled his head in concentration then he said   
excitedly, "You told me that before I make a move I had to   
predict what you would do and then I had to predict what I would   
do after you moved! That was fun! I didn't know you could   
make war into a board game!"  
  
"Amazing, isn't it?" Ming said smiling at her student. "But   
what I was trying to teach you that day also applies to martial arts.  
As long as your mind is active and engaged, you can defeat any   
person if you're aware enough to know what they will do before   
they even do it no matter how fast or strong they are.  
  
"Like in a chess game, you must predict the logical   
progression of moves far ahead from simply reading the most   
immediate one. Reading direct moves gives you only a split   
second to react and all you can do is react. You must see your   
opponent's move, counterattack then immediately counterattack   
the next move you know they must make. If you know logically   
what moves must follow you have an advantage."  
  
"People can't be that predictable," Ranma protested.  
  
"No they aren't. But in fights there can only be so many   
different moves that can follow from say, a roundhouse kick. As   
bishops can only move diagonally, the human body can only move   
in so many ways. Even a queen who can make such versatile   
moves is limited as she can not move the way a knight can.   
  
"The easiest way to make someone even more predictable is   
to make them angry. They may have more power and are less   
vulnerable to pain but their thinking will be short-circuited. You   
will have the advantage because while you are calm and collected   
your opponent will be more easily lured into doing sloppy attacks."  
  
"And that's okay?" Ranma asked.  
  
Ming looked sharply at him. "Maybe you wouldn't do this in   
sparring but in a real confrontation you should use any weapon   
necessary. Words are a powerful tool and sometimes they can be  
more damaging than any blow. Also, if your opponent can not   
control his temper then you are doing him a favor by pointing out   
this weakness."  
  
"But when you were fighting Pops, you didn't say anything!"   
Ranma cried.  
  
After putting Ranma down, Ming walked over to where   
Genma's unconscious body was. She said thoughtfully,   
"Sometimes you don't need words to enrage an opponent beyond   
reason. Ranma, you will notice that your father is covered in   
bruises. I, on the other hand, have almost none. Why is that?"  
  
A light dawned in Ranma's eyes. "Because he couldn't hit   
you! You just kept dodging and Pops got really angry."  
  
"But why would he get angry?" Ming inquired. "Wouldn't it   
make sense that I would rather not have my pretty face   
rearranged? Yet your father allowed his irrational anger to get   
the better of him and make it incredibly easy for me to defeat him.   
I want you to think about that after you leave, among other things."  
  
She squatted down in front of the boy and stared at him   
quizzically. "We have spent much time together you and I, but   
you have not told me what it is that *you* want. What do you   
want to do with your life, Ranma?"  
  
"Be the best martial artist ever!" Ranma replied without   
hesitation.  
  
"What are you going to do once you have attained this   
admirable goal?"  
  
Ranma looked confused. "I don't know. Look for challenges   
to fight I guess."  
  
Ming looked at him sadly. "I hope you find in your life room   
for other things. Life is too short to be spent so single-mindedly   
or alone. Remember that there is a world out there."  
  
She stared at her hands and said softly, "Unimaginable power   
resides in these old hands but what's the point if you have no one   
to share them with? But this old woman is rambling." Looking at   
the boy who had suddenly crawled back into her lap, she smiled.   
  
"I have given you skills that may not make sense to you now   
but will one day. You are destined for great things young Ranma   
Saotome and things would go far more smoothly for you if you   
have a good head on your shoulders. I have known you only for   
a few months and already your life verges on the unbelievable. I   
believe you to be a Nexus."  
  
"What's a nexus?"  
  
The elder ignored the question and instead changed the   
subject. She said, "Ranma, do you trust me?"  
  
"Of course I do!" Ranma cried, looking shocked at the   
question.  
  
"Then would you mind answering me a question that I've been   
thinking of asking you for months? If you don't want to, I   
perfectly understand," Ming said.  
  
"Go ahead," Ranma said agreeably.  
  
Ming gave him another one of those sharp looks that showed   
that she was going to be very serious. She said, "How long have   
you been able to generate the flames?"  
  
A look of blank confusion came over young Ranma's face. He   
said, "I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
The old woman regarded him then rubbed his face gently. She   
said softly, "What did your father do to you to give you these scars?"  
  
Ranma turned his head away. He said quietly, "Once my dad   
set me on fire. It hurt a lot. I don't know why he did it."  
  
Ming Jutuo's face turned scarlet red. She stood up, ran over   
to Genma Saotome, and started kicking him as hard as she could.   
She yelled, "Fool! Of course he'd be immune to his *own* fire!   
Idiot! You've scared him so badly that he doesn't even remember   
the talent he has!"  
  
When she got too tired to continue, she walked back to the   
wide-eyed boy muttering, "The only being worse than a monster   
is a misguided fool. It's too dangerous to let that oaf remember   
this about his son. I'll have to do something about it."  
  
She took another look at the boy then said, "But I have to   
make sure. Ranma, would you mind demonstrating that strange   
ability of yours for me?"  
  
"What ability?" Ranma asked genuinely confused. He was   
suddenly wrapped in a giant hug and heard Sensei Ming say, "It   
was that bad huh? Never mind, dear. It's not too surprising   
considering what else I see in you. You have so much potential   
boy and you have such a good heart. I am so sorry that I can't   
keep you longer. Your destiny is somewhere else but I do wish   
that it wasn't so."  
  
Ranma watched as Sensei Ming rubbed her eyes then stood up   
straighter. She said, "It's time to continue your lessons, Ranma.   
We only have a few weeks after all. Here's a simple exercise I   
want you to try today: using the earth's ki for practical   
applications. A very useful skill to learn but it's only one of many."   
  
"Real power comes from peace of mind and harmony with   
your surroundings. There is as much a difference between   
fighting against the power of the earth versus working with it as   
there is between hard and soft styles. Both will take you to the   
same goal but the way there is not the same at all."   
  
As Ranma watched in amazement, Ming levitated off the   
ground. "Oh sure, you could use your ki to simply repel the force   
of the earth but that is very draining and leaves you with little   
power for combat. Even using the earth's ki is draining for no   
vessel no matter how strong can contain even the smallest   
amount of ki the entire planet produces in a second. Now, asking   
the earth to lower the force of gravity in your vicinity is vastly   
more efficient. Why don't you try it?"  
  
Ranma didn't understand everything she said but he knew that   
this was a fun game. He tried jumping up and down and while he   
could leap to very high heights, he couldn't stay up there for more   
then a few seconds. It occurred to him that maybe he needed to   
be higher. He quickly leaped up from branch to branch soon   
making it to the top of a tall oak tree. He immediately jumped off   
and tried to fly. Unfortunately, he still couldn't.  
  
"AAARGH!!!"  
  
  
Ranma(C) bolted up from her bed her mouth still frozen in   
mid-scream. Seeing that she was in the hospital room, she   
calmed down slightly. For a brief moment she thought she saw   
the ghostly semblance of Sensei Ming out of the corner of her eye   
but when she turned to look there was nothing there. Shaking   
the cobwebs out of her head, she settled back down onto the bed   
and breathed deeply.  
  
It was so weird experiencing a memory she had long since   
ceased to think about. She didn't like thinking about the past   
often whether or not it was good or bad. Mostly, thinking about   
the good times just made the bad times seem even worse. But   
right now, she felt a deep feeling of nostalgia for the old woman   
who had treated him- uh, her so kindly in his youth.  
  
That dream had been so real that she could have sworn that   
she- he had just been falling to her death. Of course Ming had   
caught her- him and told her never to try such a stupid stunt   
again. He- She didn't need to be told that twice! She was also   
beginning to get a headache trying to refer to himself, herself! in   
past tense, in a time when she was male.   
  
Ranma(C) shook her head ruefully. Simple? Ha! She had   
been trying on and off in secret for years to duplicate that skill   
and it was only recently that she even mastered projecting ki from   
within herself outward.  
  
Was experiencing a memory when she slept considered   
dreaming? And what strange connection had occurred in her   
brain for it to show up again like this? The rest of the dream was   
beginning to turn fuzzy as dreams tended to do but there was   
something important here that she felt she needed to know about.   
She thought it over but then brushed the thought aside. There   
was time enough later to puzzle it out.  
  
She stretched the kinks out of her body then rose from the cot   
trying to remember why she was here again. Oh yeah, the   
hospital staff had placed her in a room to stay overnight to make   
sure she was okay. Ranma(C) could have told them that she was   
fine and that she was disgusted she had survived unscathed when   
so many others were injured. At least they didn't make her wear   
one of those stupid looking gowns.  
  
After having breakfast in the cafeteria and deciding she'd had   
worse, Ranma(C) headed for the elevator so she could go check   
up on Akane and Ranma. When she got to their room, she heard   
voices coming out of it. It was Nabiki and Doctor Tofu.   
Ranma(C) hid around a corner until they past by. She didn't feel   
like talking to anyone at the moment.  
  
Ranma(C) glided into the room as silently as she could. Once   
she saw that Akane was sleeping normally, she glanced over at   
Ranma. He was still in a coma but at least he was alive. The   
doctors didn't know when he would wake up but they all agreed   
that it was a miracle that he managed to survive with all the   
internal bleeding and life-threatening injuries he had taken.  
  
The hospital specialists had calmly listened to the story of a   
demon attack on Furinkan High, gotten confirmation on its   
validity from other sources, then proceeded to the protocol all   
Tokyo hospitals followed when faced with the inexplicable.   
Namely, to falsify reports.  
  
Idly, Ranma(C) picked up Akane's clipboard and skimmed   
through the Latin jargon to get to the gist of it. A lot of nerves   
had been fried which was probably a good thing since she would   
have been in much more pain walking about as she had. Some   
skin grafts had to be placed on over Akane's burns to help repair   
the damage. Currently, she was apparently heavily doped up on   
some sort of drug with a tongue-twisting name.  
  
Akane started tossing and turning on the bed. Ranma(C) was   
trying to calm her down when the girl's brown eyes opened. Her   
gaze was confused and unaware. The oval slits flickered back   
and forth a few times before finally settling on Ranma(C).  
  
"Ranma?"  
  
Ranma(C) leaned in closer and said, "Yes, Akane. I'm here."  
  
Akane's eyes shifted past the redhead and she asked again,   
"Where's Ranma?"  
  
The former boy ignored the pang that suddenly erupted inside   
her chest and reminded herself that Akane was still drugged and   
didn't know what she was saying. She silently pointed to the bed   
next to her.  
  
Akane looked over at Ranma and her eyes filled with tears.   
"He's hurt." Then after a thought she said simply, "He saved me."  
  
"Of course he did," Ranma(C) said gently.   
  
Akane was silent for such a long time that Ranma(C) thought   
she had fallen asleep. Then suddenly, Akane turned to Ranma(C)   
and said dreamily, "It's funny, you know. I never noticed it   
before but I have to nearly die before Ranma treats me nicely."  
  
"I think that's the medication talking," Ranma(C) replied   
uneasily. "Ranma's been nice to you lots of times."  
  
Akane snorted. "Only when we're alone together and I don't   
have to tell you how often that happens. I've gotten kidnapped   
more times than that."  
  
Ranma(C) was hurt by that comment. Akane saw this and   
said, "I just meant it would have been nice if we had more time   
together away from the craziness."  
  
She stretched out her arms and gave a big yawn. "I don't   
know why I care about that baka so much. There's just   
something about him that makes me want to love him and hate   
him at the same time. Does that make any sense?"  
  
Ranma(C) didn't dare say anything.   
  
"Why doesn't Ranma like me?" Akane asked in a small voice,   
sounding like a child who had just had her teddy bear taken away.  
  
"What makes you think he doesn't?" Ranma(C) asked taken   
back.  
  
"Why should he? There was a time when I thought I had a   
chance, when we could have created a real relationship. Then   
Kaori and Shampoo and all those girls began showing up. They   
were more beautiful, better martial artists, could cook better,   
they were just good at everything!"   
  
Akane closed her eyes and sunk deeper into her bed. Her next   
words were so low that Ranma(C) had to lean in even closer to   
hear them.  
  
"I tried to compete, I really did, but I failed like I always do.   
Ranma would always do something to make me think he cared   
about me and I would get my hopes up. Then he would hurt my   
feelings and I'd be back where I started. I hated not knowing   
where I stood with him! I tried so hard to push him away so it   
wouldn't hurt much when the day came that he would reject me."   
  
Akane's eyes sprang open again but this time they were   
completely lucid, clear of the haze that had been fogging them.   
She said brokenly, "At the same time I couldn't help but hold onto   
him as tightly as I could. But I realized that no matter what I did,   
I was going to end up losing something extremely important to me.   
You don't know what it's like to lose one of the most important   
people in the world to you. You would do almost everything to   
avoid it ever happening again."  
  
Tears ran down her face. "The worst part was that he never   
got angry at me, he always forgave me. I never saw that because   
I was so busy being such a bi-"  
  
"Please don't say that," Ranma(C) pleaded.  
  
The eyes started to fog over again and Ranma(C) could see   
that consciousness was rapidly fading away. Akane struggled to   
continue, "Why do I care so damn much? There's just something   
about him, about both of you, that just flies through all my   
defenses...  
  
"Ranma's life would be much easier if I wasn't around. I'm so   
sorry, Ranma," Akane mumbled before she drifted off to sleep.  
  
Ranma(C) stared at Akane's sleeping form. She had never   
realized that Akane thought of herself that way. It disturbed her   
greatly to think that a strong person like Akane could be plagued   
by such doubts. But she couldn't deny the words that she just   
heard. Akane seemed to see herself in such a negative way, so   
full of self-loathing weariness.  
  
"Only you would think that my life would be easier without   
you," Ranma(C) said softly to Akane. "It's more the other way   
around. Why didn't you ever talk to me about this?"  
  
But Ranma(C) knew why. Akane was too much like her in   
the respect that she kept everything tightly bottled up but   
different in that she didn't know how to release her emotions in a   
positive way. Akane was wrong though. She did know what it   
was like to lose someone.  
  
Ranma(C) was so tired of causing problems! She was just   
tired, period. For the first time, she could understand why her   
father was such a coward. It hurt too much to care, to see the   
suffering caused by one's own actions. Couldn't she do anything   
right for once? Her shield of denseness and pretending that   
nothing was wrong had somehow collapsed some time back and   
everything was just getting to be too much.  
  
Not for the first time, she went into the meditative trance that   
had allowed her to keep her sanity after all the things that had   
happened to her. She cleared her mind and took a few deep   
breaths, centering herself. The tension washed out of her and   
after a few minutes she felt calm again. It was not real peace of   
mind but it was still a feeling she valued highly and it would have   
to be enough.  
  
  
After a half-hour of searching, Ranma(C) finally found Doctor   
Tofu in one of the hospital supply rooms. He was just standing   
in the far corner, apparently lost in thought, an image of abject   
misery. Ranma(C) coughed silently to get his attention. Tofu   
whirled around and quickly stuffed the object in his hand into his   
lab coat. But not fast enough for she saw that it was a picture of   
Kasumi. Ranma(C) tactfully didn't say anything and waited for   
Tofu to speak.  
  
The good doctor took a deep breath to compose himself and   
said, "Hello, Ranma. I've been meaning to talk to you."  
  
Ranma(C)'s ears perked up. "Why? Have you found a cure   
for me?"  
  
"I'm sorry but my research still comes up with nothing." Tofu   
looked apologetic.  
  
Ranma(C) deflated slightly but she wasn't too surprised. Her   
problems had never been solved so easily. "Okay, how about   
finding me a way to be male at least? Maybe some Nannichan   
would do the trick."  
  
Tofu sighed heavily. "I'm afraid not. You are the victim of   
botched magic. I'm not sure what subjecting you to Jusenkyo   
would do but I doubt that it'd be good."  
  
Ranma(C)'s world crumbled at those words. She had forced   
down the feelings of revulsion she had at being in a strange body   
somewhat successfully these past few weeks but now they were   
bubbling out to the surface. With new almost painful awareness,   
she became conscious of her body. She looked at her creamy,   
flawless skin, her impossibly scarlet hair, her slender and weak   
arms, and her annoyingly short stature.   
  
But it was those damn melons that really rose her ire. They   
always got in her way and they were always being stared at by   
perverts. Anger rose within in her and it was all she could do not   
to fall into a gibbering, screaming mess. She forced down the   
rage and plastered a smile on her face.  
  
"Well, I'm sure you tried your best," Ranma(C) said forcing a   
cheeriness into her voice. "I really just wanted to ask you about   
Akane and the other Ranma."  
  
"They will be fine," Tofu said as he took off his glasses and   
cleaned them on his lab coat. He put them back on and glanced   
sharply at the girl. His eyes were hidden by the glare of the lights.   
He said, "But I am more concerned about you. I've been   
meaning to check on how you were adapting to your condition."  
  
Ranma(C) looked at him in disgust. "Are you nuts? Why   
would I want to get used to this? Besides, I haven't cracked or   
gone all weepy-eyed if that's what you're asking."  
  
Tofu crossed his arms. "I do not mean to imply anything of   
the sort. I simply think that this change has not really filtered in   
just yet. You have been stuck as a girl several times in the past   
and subconsciously you may still feel that this is just one more of   
those times."  
  
"So what if I do think that in some way?" Ranma(C)   
countered. "What's so bad about not thinking about being stuck   
in this body?" She gestured down with a look of disdain.  
  
Tofu gave her a mild look of disapproval as he replied,   
"Self-hatred is not healthy, Ranma. Your attitude towards your   
body will make things harder than they have to be. I'm not asking   
you to make any major lifestyle changes but life would be easier   
for you if you begin to accept that things have changed. You're   
still trying to act like everything is the same and that is nothing   
different about you. That is natural but you and I both know that   
you can't keep it up. You can't continue to avoid the problem."   
  
Ranma(C) thought that the doctor was being a bit unfair in his   
judgement but she recognized some truth in his words. Yet   
something in her still rebelled. "I'm not a girl."  
  
"Yes you are." Tofu held up a hand to quench any protest.   
"Physically that is. Mentally, you're male. I see no   
incompatibility so why should you? Ranma, you seem to think   
that you have to be in one world or the other and nowhere else.   
You know better than anybody does that nothing is ever black   
and white. You have never played by the rules before so why   
limit yourself now? Why not make the most of your unique   
experience? Not many will ever go through life with the chance   
to see through the eyes of both sexes."  
  
"And who would want to?" Ranma(C) muttered. But   
considering the doctor's words, she looked over herself. Was he   
right? Was she ashamed of what she had become? Was she still   
hiding from a part of herself she refused to admit existed? Back   
when she was whole, she could admit that she had gotten used to   
the curse and that she didn't really care about it anymore. But   
tolerance and acceptance were two different things.  
  
Sure, she still wore her Chinese outfits but that was just part   
of who she was and there was no reason she should change. But   
why hadn't she at least gotten clothes that fitted? She reacted   
violently whenever someone called her a girl or implied that she   
wasn't acting manly. When she was out in public, she would try   
to hide herself from the prying eyes she was sure was staring at   
her and judging her. Did what she look like matter so much?  
  
"What's wrong with being a girl?" Tofu asked out of nowhere   
causing Ranma(C) to whip her head up at him.  
  
"Why did you have to ask that question? People always ask   
that question!" Ranma(C) complained.  
  
"And I want to know the answer," the doctor replied calmly.  
  
"There's nothing wrong with being a girl, I guess," Ranma(C)   
said, "if that's what you are or that's what you want to be. But I   
don't like it. People always laugh at me and think I'm a pervert."  
  
Tofu gave her a look. "From what I've heard, I don't think it's   
just you turning into a girl that gives people opinions like that."  
  
Ranma(C) thought back to some of the things she done in the   
past and she had to agree with him. Ranma had been male when   
he grabbed Hinako's breasts to reach the special pressure points,   
or whenever he ended up in a compromising position with a girl,   
or the time he got caught male in girls' gym clothes trying to   
sneak into their locker rooms.  
  
It was the situations she ended up in or created herself that   
made her seem like a pervert, not what body she occupied at the   
time. So she couldn't blame her curse for people's opinion of her;   
she only had herself to blame.  
  
But this still wasn't enough to completely sway her. Ranma(C)   
said, "I just don't want people thinking that I really am a girl."  
  
"Why does that matter?"  
  
An eternity went by before she replied, "I don't know. It just   
does."  
  
"I see," Doctor Tofu said as he absorbed her answer. He   
leaned against a wall and motioned Ranma(C) to do the same.   
He said, "I think that deep inside, you believe that if you don't   
constantly tell everyone that you are male they won't be able to   
perceive the real Ranma Saotome. So tell me, Ranma. Is the   
person you are wrapped up in the way you look? Does the   
essence of Ranma change in some way when you shift sex?"  
  
"Of course not!" Ranma(C) said annoyed. "I'm still me."  
  
"In that case, instead of making sure people know *what* you   
are why don't you try making sure they know *who* are.   
Anything else is purely inconsequential."  
  
Another couple of minutes went by as Ranma(C) silently   
considered this advice. Her thoughts were jumbled and confused   
as she evaluated and dissected each part of their conversation   
trying to fit it in her mind like a jigsaw puzzle. The conclusion   
she reached was that she was not going to solve all of this in the   
next five minutes. This was too big for that. She was going to   
have to take a hard look at herself over the next few days,   
something she wasn't really too good at doing.  
  
"Why the sudden interest, doc?" Ranma(C) asked at last.  
  
Doctor Tofu replied, "I would hate to see a person like you   
have their potential wasted over something as trivial as gender.   
That attitude of yours has held you back for too long. As your   
doctor, I have seen that and I never felt it was my place to   
comment. Until now. Please think about this carefully."  
  
"I'll try but even if I thought you were right who the heck   
would I ask for help?"  
  
A voice spoke up behind her. "I'd charge you an arm and a   
leg but I'd be happy to help if you wanted me to."  
  
Closing the door behind her, Nabiki Tendo entered the closet.   
She smiled sardonically and said, "You must be slipping, Ranma.   
I would have thought that you'd have detected me before now."  
  
"I've had a lot on my mind. Were you looking for me?"  
  
Nabiki replied, "I was and I couldn't help but overhear your   
problem and think that you probably are in need of my services."  
  
"Why this sudden urge to help me?" Ranma(C) asked   
suspiciously.  
  
Nabiki gave the girl an enigmatic smile before grabbing her   
and pulling her out the door. "I have my reasons. I'll tell you   
about it when we get to the mall."  
  
The mall? Ranma(C) thought as she was dragged outside.   
Something inside her told her that no good could come of this...  
  
  
"Tell me again exactly how I ended up here," Ranma(C) said   
to Nabiki as they walked down the aisle of the clothing store.   
Nabiki had dragged her down to a mall in Tokyo after Ranma(C)   
had insisted they go somewhere she wouldn't be recognized.  
  
"Stop griping and carry this," Nabiki replied as she dumped   
more clothes into Ranma(C)'s already full arms. "You knew that   
you had to do this at some point or another. And who else would   
you have wanted to ask help you? Kasumi or Akane? You'd   
either end up as little Miss Daisy or as a smear on the ground."  
  
"I still don't understand why I gotta wear this junk," the   
redhead complained. "I mean, I'm with adjusting and all that and   
I agreed to get some new clothes but not these type of clothes!"  
  
Nabiki sighed. "Ranma, a third of your wardrobe is already   
composed of clothing that you've stolen from Kasumi, Akane,   
and me. What's the fuss all of a sudden?"  
  
Ranma(C) fidgeted under this line of questioning and the   
realization that she did own more female clothing than the   
average guy did. Best not to dwell on that too much. She   
whispered, "I don't want to have to wear... you know."  
  
Nabiki rolled her eyes. "Then don't. It's your chest."  
  
"Huh?" Ranma(C) was caught off-guard by the response. She   
had been expecting more of a fight over this.  
  
"Honestly, lots of girls don't but really, with your   
measurements you should consider wearing an athletic supporter   
at least. Barely feminine at all and I know how important that is   
to you. Or you could try talking to Shampoo. She doesn't wear   
underwear at all and considering how vain she is, she probably   
has some Amazon secret for keeping such a firm chest..."  
  
Ranma(C) had both hands over her ears (a remarkable feat   
bearing in mind the load she was carrying) and was currently   
chanting, "I'm not hearing this... I'm not hearing this..."  
  
Nabiki swatted her on the head then said, "Do you want my   
help or not, Ranma? You always made such a big deal out of   
everything." She grabbed some clothes out of the stack and   
motioned them towards Ramma(C). "I'm just getting you some   
blouses and slacks! Well, among other things. But this is stuff   
that *I* wear. I know you got some idiotic notions about what it   
is that girls wear but try to get this through your head; just   
because you're a girl doesn't mean you're confined to dresses,   
manicures, or the whole nine yards."   
  
Ranma(C) looked about halfway convinced and Nabiki   
couldn't help adding, "It's all about what kind of person you want   
to be. You can still be a tomboy if you want to."  
  
"Geez, I've gone from boy to tomboy," Ranma(C) said   
sarcastically but to Nabiki's keen perception, her heart wasn't   
really in it.   
  
A quizzical look was thrown out. Nabiki asked, "It's not just   
being a girl that's bothering you, is it?"  
  
"Actually, that does bother me a lot and that's part of the   
problem. It just got to me, you know. I'm going to have to   
change, aren't I? Doctor Tofu was right about how I was trying   
to avoid this. But now, I guess I just got to get used to the fact   
that my whole life, the life I've gotten used to is just... gone."  
  
Ranma(C) looked so depressed that Nabiki had to resist the   
urge to reach out and give the redhead a hug. Instead she said,   
"Ranma, don't think like that. Your life's not gone but like you   
said, it's going to have to change a little. It's not going to be that   
bad. Think of it this way, yeah, you're stuck as a girl but at least   
you finally have a chance of having a normal life."  
  
"I DON'T WANT A NORMAL LIFE!" Ranma(C) roared as   
Nabiki's words appeared to have lit a spark inside her.  
  
Nabiki blinked as well as everyone within a mile of the store   
they were in.  
  
Ranma(C) didn't seem to notice as she slouched down and   
said in a small voice, "At least I don't want some crackpot's idea   
of what *normal* means. When I was Ranma, *fully* Ranma, I   
*was* normal. Almost. Compared to everyone else I know   
anyway. When I was little..."  
  
She trailed off, pausing, before she continued, "Let's just say   
that Japan can be a pretty harsh place against people who are   
different and kids can be the cruelest people of all. There weren't   
many people like Ucchan or Ryouga that I could turn to."  
  
"They both tried to kill you once they tracked you down if   
you recall," Nabiki reminded her.  
  
"Yeah, I'm never going to forgive Pops for that," Ranma(C)   
said wearily. "But at one time or another, they were both my   
best friends and those were the times I remembered whenever   
things got too bad for me. Knowing that there were other people   
out there like me was enough to keep me going."  
  
She gestured around her and said, "Here, I never had to worry   
about fitting in or hiding my abilities so people wouldn't think   
that I was a freak. For once, I had found a place that was as   
weird as I was and had no problem with someone like me. Yeah,   
I wish things were less hectic around here sometimes but I had   
never wished..."  
  
Once more she trailed off not sure what she was trying to say.   
The two girls continued walking down the aisle in silence.   
Ranma(C) entered one of the dressing rooms and tried on the   
outfits that Nabiki passed to her. It wasn't as bad as she feared.   
She had worn much more feminine things in the past so she barely   
winced putting on this relatively more conservative clothing.  
  
The first thing she noticed was how well the clothes fit.   
Nothing she had ever worn as a girl had fit so well before and for   
a moment she was lost in awe over the idea. It was such a little   
thing to focus on but it suddenly made her realize how foolish she   
had been. She would still prefer her brand of Chinese clothing   
but now she saw that it had been pride that had prevented her   
from expanding her wardrobe.  
  
More and more articles of clothing were passed in and soon   
the various bright colors and patterns began to blur together. A   
mental routine was set up to handle dressing, undressing, then   
dressing all over again. She was beginning to lose track of all the   
outfits that Nabiki was throwing in at her. Where were they all   
coming from? Was she having somebody *making* this things?!  
  
She didn't know how Nabiki did it. One minute she was just   
trying on blouses and slacks then suddenly she was wearing a   
yellow sundress with flowers printed on it.  
  
"What the-?" Ranma(C) exclaimed in surprise. Somehow, she   
had absent-mindedly put on the dress without noticing. She   
popped her head out of the dressing room and glared at Nabiki.  
  
Nabiki smirked back at her and held out an armload of   
dresses out at her. "You're not the only master around here.   
Here's some more to try on."  
  
"No way! Why?"  
  
"Because buying clothes is only half the experience of   
shopping," Nabiki explained patiently.  
  
"You still haven't told me why you're helping me," Ranma(C)   
said looking at her suspiciously.  
  
"I have my reasons," Nabiki said. "Now, don't make me   
blackmail you, Ranma!"  
  
Ranma(C) complied. More and more *interesting* outfits   
were tried on and Ranma(C) was starting to get a sense of why   
women enjoyed doing this so much. Ranma(C) had always   
known that she was beautiful but she was beginning to see that   
this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.  
  
Nabiki laughed softly as she watched Ranma(C) preen before   
a mirror in a rather stunning, backless, red evening gown. She   
asked, "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"  
  
Ranma(C) got a deer caught in the headlights type of look   
and she blurted out, "Wah? No, of course not! I was just..."  
  
She trailed off as she realized what she was doing. She was   
suddenly disgusted with herself. "Aw, screw it! I'd never   
thought I'd say it but I'm having a good time, Nabiki."  
  
And it was true. Once she stopped worrying so much about   
whether she was being manly or not she could allow herself to   
relax and enjoy herself. She didn't feel any different and as far as   
she could tell no one was staring at her like she was some sort of   
freak. Now that Nabiki had forced her to face her fears of   
wearing female clothing of her own free will, Ranma(C) could see   
how silly she had been. Living in a world where demons and   
gods ran around, it was time to reevaluate her priorities. Maybe   
it was time she stopped being so uptight.   
  
"But that doesn't mean that I'm suddenly going to go out and   
act all giggly and girly," Ranma(C) warned Nabiki. "I'm just here  
trying something new."  
  
"I'm so glad you said that," Nabiki said. Something in the way   
she said that worried Ranma(C), who turned around in time to   
see her benefactor pull out a camera. "Nabiki!"  
  
Nabiki lowered the camera and looked surprised. "What?   
This little shopping spree is costing me a bundle. I have to make   
it up somehow."  
  
"Could you try asking me once in a while?"  
  
"You'd just say no," Nabiki protested.  
  
"Of course but at least I'd have a warning before you did it   
anyway! Seriously, I can't believe that you can't come up with   
better ways to make money."  
  
Ranma(C) expected an off the cuff answer from the brunette   
but Nabiki actually gave her a thoughtful look before replying,   
"I'll place that suggestion under consideration."  
  
"Really?" Ranma(C) asked surprised. Then she gave Nabiki a   
wary look and asked, "Are you sure you're feeling alright? Did   
Kuno knock you out too hard or something?"  
  
"Oh shut up," Nabiki replied somehow looking annoyed and   
self-conscious at the same time. She insisted, "I'm perfectly fine.   
Now, try this on."  
  
Nabiki held up a wedding dress. Ranma(C) took one glance   
at it and immediately fainted. Nabiki gave a sigh of relief then   
said to herself, "I still got it. I was worried there for a second."  
  
  
Ranma(C) looked down at the red tank top and black pants   
she was currently wearing then glanced nervously around the   
food court. Despite her newfound resolution to not let stuff like   
this bother her, she still couldn't get rid of all the uneasy tinges   
she always felt when going out in public as a girl.   
  
It wouldn't be so bad if she wasn't such a noticeable girl! The   
red hair and her other more prominent attributes made it almost   
impossible for her to blend in well. She had no idea whether this   
was a good thing or not in her opinion. Pride would always   
ensure that she would never remain content with being invisible   
but she didn't want to be such a spectacle all the time either.   
  
"Ranma, will you stop doing that?" Nabiki complained. "For   
the tenth time, no one is looking at you! It's all in your head."  
  
"How can you be so sure?" Ranma(C) asked morosely as she   
continued poking at her food.  
  
Nabiki steepled her fingers together and gave a level look to   
the girl sitting across from her. "Ranma, there are two categories   
of people who will see you. Those who don't know that you're   
really a guy and will only see a beautiful girl surrounded by   
dozens of shopping bags. Bags, by the way, that I have   
generously paid for..."  
  
"Yes, yes. I'm in your debt for the next millennium," Ranma(C)   
interrupted waving her hands in an impatient gesture. "Back to   
the point, please."  
  
Nabiki acquiesced and said, "Now, you don't really care about   
what strangers think though you're probably a little disturbed by   
them looking at you." Ranma(C) nodded at that comment then   
Nabiki continued, "So it's the other group that concerns you the   
most, the ones who know who you really are. Their opinions are   
the ones that would affect you the most."  
  
"I guess so," Ranma(C) replied.  
  
"Well, I have only one thing to tell you," Nabiki said. "Get   
over it."  
  
"What?" Ranma(C) spluttered in shock. "That's it?"  
  
Nabiki shrugged then said, "What else is there to say? You   
already know that you're not supposed to care what other people   
think but you do it anyway. There's nothing I can say to that   
except get over it. You don't see me crying about the idiots that   
think I'm a bitch or worse. They don't have all the information so   
why should I care what they think? I take pride in my work and   
while I would also be the first one to admit that I still have quite   
a bit to learn I will defend my decisions right or wrong.  
  
"But we were talking about you. Ranma, you have to   
understand that people always thought you were weird and that   
started even before they knew about your curse. With everything   
that's going on now compounded with everything that has   
happened since you've arrived, I can honestly say that no one will   
ever by surprised by *anything* you do."  
  
How does one reply to a statement like that? Ranma(C)   
didn't even try but she noticed her appetite seemed to have   
returned as she quickly gulped down her meal. Then she stood   
up from her seat and said, "Hey, Nabiki. Help me with the bags?"  
  
"Excuse me, miss, but could you tell me if this is Kyoto?" a   
voice behind her asked. Ranma(C) turned back to see one   
Ryouga Hibiki standing with a sheepish look on his face.  
  
The lost boy stared at the image of the redhead he had come   
to associate with his longtime rival wearing clothes that showed   
off her- his! rather shapely figure. Ryouga suddenly crashed   
down to reality with that thought and immediately took that   
image in his head, crumbled it into a ball, and incinerated it with   
a small, mental Shi shi hodokan.  
  
Then, that business taken care of, Ryouga shrugged mentally   
to himself. Ranma always did strange things and was no doubt   
up to something perverted as usual.  
  
"Ranma? What are you doing in Kyoto?" The fanged boy   
asked in confusion. Ranma(C) rolled her eyes and replied,   
"We're in Nerima, you fool. Why are you looking for Kyoto   
anyway? Don't you usually go around trying to find me so you   
can get your great revenge?"  
  
Ryouga gathered himself up in an imposing stance and said   
haughtily, "I do have a life outside of you, Ranma."  
  
Ranma(C) gave him a very skeptical look then said,   
"Whatever. What were you trying to do anyway?"  
  
The fanged martial artist scratched the back of his head.   
"Well, I've been thinking about what Cologne said, about maybe   
my lack of direction being some sort of curse. So I've been   
trying to locate my parents to ask them about it and I heard that   
they were in Kyoto."  
  
"Oh. Good luck with that, man. I'd give you directions but   
knowing you that probably wouldn't help you any," Ranma(C)   
said grinning.  
  
Ryouga glared at her and said, "Why aren't you more worried   
about this? Once I get rid of this curse, I'll be able to hunt you   
down night or day whenever I want. No longer will you elude me   
or keep me from ruining your happiness!"  
  
"If you hadn't noticed, you're a bit late," Ranma(C) replied   
with a somewhat amused and pained look on her face. "Now, if   
you're still after the other Ranma, I say more power to you, my   
brother." She thumped her chest for emphasis. Lightly, of course.  
  
"Dammit! Why won't you ever take me seriously?" Ryouga   
yelled angrily.  
  
"Put yourself in my shoes for a minute, pig boy," Ranma(C)   
said. "I get death threats every other day of the week. If you   
moved to Nerima, you'd just be another face for me to beat up."   
She smiled cutely at the fuming wanderer. Then unseen by   
Ryouga, Ranma(C) gave Nabiki a kick beneath the table.  
  
After suppressing the yelp of pain she would have liked very   
much to give, a thoughtful look appeared on Nabiki's face before   
she suddenly broke in, "I don't know, Ranma. Ryouga here isn't   
just another Mousse or Kuno. Having him around all the time   
might be dangerous."  
  
"I would listen to her, Ranma, if I were you," Ryouga said in   
a low voice as he leaned over the table, casting his shadow on   
Ranma(C).  
  
Ranma(C) gave a look of astonishment at him before her face   
crumpled. "You don't really mean that, do you? I thought we   
were buddies. Waahhh!!!"   
  
Ryouga immediately lost his tough guy act as his mind   
automatically shut down as male brains tend to do when faced   
with the onslaught of a crying woman. To his credit, he calmly   
turned to Nabiki with the intent of politely asking her to deal with   
the situation. What actually happened, however, was something   
along the lines of Ryouga flailing his arms wildly and screaming,   
"Nabiki, help! Ranma's gone crazy! What should I do?!"  
  
Repressing a snicker, Nabiki patted Ranma(C) on the arm and   
said soothingly, "There, there. I'm sure Ryouga was just kidding   
around. He doesn't hate you at all. Right, Ryouga?"  
  
He really didn't like where this was going but the glare Nabiki   
was sending him caused him to paste a big smile on his face and   
say, "Not at all. You know me, always joking around. Ha, ha!"  
  
The Soun-wannabe reduced her wailing down to a sniffle and   
asked plaintively, "I don't know, Nabiki-chan. I'm beginning to   
think that Ryouga isn't really my friend after all."  
  
"Now, Ranma, you're just overreacting. Ryouga has done   
many things to help you when you needed it. I'm sure he can   
recount a whole bunch just off his head," Nabiki replied.  
  
She can't possibly be serious, Ryouga thought in disbelief.   
As if reading his thoughts, Ranma(C) released the floodgates   
again. Feeling the glares of dozens of onlookers, most of them   
female, Ryouga began to babble. "Uh... um... I've helped you lots   
of times, Ranma! Remember the time you lost your strength? I   
coulda pulverized you right then and there but I didn't."  
  
"That's only because you didn't want to pick on somebody   
weaker on you," Ranma(C) replied with wet eyes. "If you could   
have, you would have pounded me, meanie."  
  
"Hey! I helped you learn the Hiryuu Shoten Ha from the old   
ghoul, didn't I?" Ryouga asked angrily.  
  
"You were probably just hoping to hurt me then keep your   
honor intact by claiming that it was a training accident. Face it,   
Ryouga, the only times you ever help me is when you're planning   
to stab me in the back or you're doing it for Akane. I can't   
believe you've been taking advantage of my trust all these times!"   
Ranma(C) said in a tone of wonder.  
  
"That's not true!" Ryouga yelled as the rage within him built   
from all these accusations, most of the anger coming from the fact   
that Ranma(C) was partially right. "You ingrate! Have you   
already forgotten how I risked my life to get the Kaisufuu when   
Herb locked you in your cursed form? Or how about just a few   
months ago when I saved you from being incinerated by Saffron?   
Do you know how much you owe me? After everything I've   
done, this is how you thank me?!"  
  
Ryouga would have kept on ranting but Ranma(C) stopped   
him with a wave of her hand. With a strange expression on her   
face, she said, "That's enough. You've convinced me that you   
don't really hate me."  
  
"Thank you!" Ryouga said throwing his hands up in   
exasperation. Then he thought about it. "Wait a minute..."  
  
"In fact," Ranma(C) cut in with a large smile forming across   
her face, "You don't hate me at all, do you? How could I ever   
have thought that? We're always play-fighting and playing   
practical jokes on each other. How could I have missed the fact   
that we're really best friends?"  
  
Ryouga was wildly shaking his head and doing warding   
gestures with his hands. "You misunderstood me! That's not   
what I meant at all!"  
  
"You don't have to keep pretending, silly. You like me, you   
really like me!" Ranma(C) cried happily. Then her eyes opened   
real wide. "Oh, Ryouga! You don't know how happy that makes   
me! Why don't we seal this occasion with a hug?"  
  
What was happening? The world as he knew was going mad!   
Watch out, Ranma's actually getting up from the table! Ryouga   
suddenly cried out in horror, "NOOOO!!!!!" He ran screaming   
from the food court and didn't even slow down when he blindly   
plowed through a wall and disappeared into the city.   
  
There was dead silence for about a moment, as every shopper   
in the vicinity stared at the trail of destruction that had been   
caused by some kind of human-shaped monster. Then a   
mysterious sound reached their ears. It was the sound of a   
certain redhead rolling on the floor laughing her butt off.  
  
"That... baka!" Ranma(C) wheezed out as another burst of   
hysterics descended on her. Nabiki didn't reply as she was   
struggling madly to maintain her composure. Then she simply   
gave up and joined Ranma(C) on the floor.  
  
"You caught on quickly to what I was trying to do," Ranma(C)   
said to Nabiki after they regained their seats at the table.  
  
"You weren't exactly being subtle. Especially with your   
signaling," Nabiki said as she rubbed the newly formed bruise on   
her leg. "But why did you do it? I thought that you guys were   
simply going to fight as usual."  
  
"And ruin my new clothes?" Ranma(C) exclaimed. "After   
what I did to pay for them? Besides, I wasn't in the mood for a   
fight today."  
  
Nabiki gave her a scrutinizing glance then said, "Are you sure   
that you're really Ranma?"  
  
"What kind of question is that?" Ranma(C) asked offended.  
  
"You seem to be lacking some of Ranma's more idiotic   
tendencies," Nabiki explained casually.  
  
"I am not even going to respond to that one," Ranma(C) said   
dryly though inwardly she was wondering what was it about   
Ranma Saotome that made so many people underestimate him. It   
wasn't his fault that he never had the time to act all sophisticated   
and intelligent, seeing that he usually had to fight for his life!   
  
Ranma(C) was starting to get really annoyed by the fact that   
there wasn't an easy way to refer to somebody who was also her   
but not her, especially when trying to talk about said self and   
herself in the past sense without losing self-identity.   
  
Aaaahhh!!!  
  
Nabiki asked curiously, "Why are you banging your head   
against the table like that?"   
  
  
Drip. Drip. Ukyou watched as drops of water fell from the   
faucet into the already full sink of soapy water. She dragged a   
hand through the water in order to clear away some of the   
soapiness. The water began to clear and Ukyou could start to see   
her reflection peering back at her.  
  
Reflections. They were such strange things. Supposedly, the   
person staring back at you was the same person who was looking   
from the outside in the first place. But for the first time Ukyou   
was unsure as she stared into the water. Water was also such a   
funny thing, completely different from mirrors. Mirrors had no   
mystery to them and one could always be sure what they showed.   
There was no such certainty with water for any image reflected   
back was distorted and warped.  
  
Ukyou stared at her blurry, watery self and on a whim   
splashed her hand through the water and obliterated the image.   
She stood up suddenly angry for no reason she could name but all   
the same she was unable to walk away from the sink. She sat   
down again.  
  
The restaurant had been closed and a worried Konastu had   
been given leave to spend the day as he wished as long as it was   
away from Ucchan's. Again, she resumed listlessly staring into   
the water. It was said that mirrors reflected the viewer's soul but   
Ukyou was always skeptical about that claim. How could a piece   
of glass or a cup of water see something she couldn't?  
  
Even after a year the face that looked back at her was   
unfamiliar. She pulled back her hair into a ponytail and grimed up   
her face a bit. This was what she was used to seeing. It was the   
perfect kind of mask because it was only slightly different from   
what she really looked like, but she still hated it with all her heart.   
Every day that she was at the all-boy school for that *test run*   
she was terrified that her secret would be discovered, but deep   
down she desperately wanted someone to see through her   
amateurish disguise and say that she was too much of a girl to   
pass as a boy. That never happened.  
  
She hated having people think she was a boy but even after   
she came to Nerima and Ranma revealed her true gender, she   
continued with her masquerade. The kids at Furinkan constantly   
bugged her about that but she could never explain how she simply   
didn't know how to be anything else. She also couldn't answer   
the questions about why she spent so many years as a boy. After   
awhile everyone assumed it was because of Ranma abandoning   
her when she was little.  
  
It was true that she had been devastated by Ranma running   
out on her but that was only part of the real reason she changed   
so drastically. It wasn't even all the stupid townspeople who   
didn't realize that a little girl could hear all their hurtful comments   
perfectly well. They weren't the reasons, they were simply the   
last straws. The real seeds of her suffering started long before   
any of this.  
  
It wasn't really love that drew her to Ranma when she was   
little for she was too young to know what the word and the   
feeling actually was. What she was drawn to was what Ranma   
represented, the chance to have a true family. Okay, she had   
learned better since then but at the time she would have thought   
anybody better than her father.  
  
It was odd how tears could disappear into the big pond and   
not seem to make any difference that could be detected. They   
were simply swallowed up into the whole. Overall, those tears   
meant nothing to the entire sea of teardrops but though they were   
little they still mattered and had importance.   
  
Ukyou wiped her eyes and wondered again what she was   
accomplishing with this. She glanced at her hand and could make   
out the distinguishable shapes of three tears. Carefully tipping   
her hand, Ukyou watched as a single tear dripped off her palm   
onto the ground.  
  
There was a time when Ukyou's family was complete. There   
was a mother, a father, and their single daughter. The world   
didn't seem like such a strange and unbearable place when they   
were all together, but when three tears became two, things were   
changed forever.  
  
He began spending long hours away from home and   
sometimes wouldn't come back for days. When he was home   
even the little girl she had been could tell that he had been   
drinking. What hurt most of all was the way he ignored her and   
did everything he could to avoid being around her. During a time   
when she needed her father the most was when he did his best to   
have anything to do with her. Her father had become so distant   
to her that she began to forget the happier times she spent with   
them. She longed for any type of attention, even the negative   
kind, but he never even yelled at her. It was like she didn't exist   
and nothing she did seem to matter to him. Somehow that was   
worse than if he had mistreated her.  
  
In one of his more lucid moments he apologized profusely for   
his treatment of her but he explained that she reminded him too   
much of her mother that he couldn't bear to look at her but that   
didn't mean he didn't love her. She didn't believe him then and   
she didn't believe him now. Back then, one of her foremost   
thoughts was to run away so that she didn't have to see the man   
that was her father disappear before her eyes.  
  
When Genma and Ranma had shown up that one faithful day,   
it was almost like her prayers had been answered. Playing with   
Ranma had allowed her to forget the pain for a little while and in   
those moments everything was right with the world. She   
practically leaped at the chance when her father told her that   
Mister Saotome would be taking her with them on their journey.  
  
She truly had been excited to learn she was leaving but she   
was also shamed that she felt so happy to be taken away from her   
home. But most of all, she felt overwhelming sadness that her   
own father would agreed so readily at giving her away to some   
stranger. Her world further shattered when Ranma's father   
demonstrated he didn't want her either.  
  
This was the true reason she cast away her femininity. She   
didn't do it for Ranma nor did she even do it for her father. She   
did because she wanted to stop being Ukyou Kuonji, she wanted   
to get as far as possible away from that life and what it   
represented. Becoming a boy was one of her ways she tried to   
put her old life behind her; running away from home was another.  
  
For months she threw herself into being the most convincing   
boy she could be. She learned the mannerisms, the walk, the   
expected actions and reactions a male was supposed to have for   
any given situation. In this way she would fight off the pull of   
depression's siren cry. But soon enough her life once again   
became directionless.  
  
She became a wanderer and went from town to town under   
different names and personas not knowing where she was going   
or why she was bothering, only knowing that she had to keeping   
going or else she might just lie down and die. This could have   
continued on indefinitely but one day, huddling inside a damp   
cave away from the raging storm outside, a thought pierced   
Ukyou's personal inner turmoil.  
  
There may have been many things that contributed to the   
awful life she had now but she could not deny to herself that the   
turning point, the one event that sent her down this path, was the   
appearance of Ranma and his father. They were the final straws   
that finally broke her. A blast of wind plastered water all over   
Ukyou Kuonji but she barely felt it, consumed as she was with a   
growing hatred for the Saotome family. That they weren't even   
responsible for her father's downward spiral didn't matter to her.   
The Saotomes became the representation for every wrong   
committed against her and were a symbol for everything she   
would never have again.  
  
Family. Friends. Love.  
  
For years she trained and she hunted. Whatever remained of   
Ukyou's hopes of creating a new, blank slate was cast aside in   
her quest for revenge. She took back her name but only to serve   
as a reminder of why she was doing this. The name itself no   
longer had any meaning for her. Over time, as her failures to   
locate the Saotomes mounted, her anger began to dim and she   
began to really consider the hopelessness of her cause. But she   
continued anyway; there was little else she could do.  
  
Then she found Ranma. Ukyou smiled at herself in the water   
at the memory but there was no smile in her eyes. Her long   
search had finally ended and though as of yet she still didn't have   
Ranma's love, her life seemed like it was turning around. She   
was beginning to make friends, she had settled down and started   
a successful business, and she was finally starting to have a   
relatively normal life. So why wasn't she happy? Why was there   
still a void in her heart that she had never managed to fill?  
  
And returning full circle it came back to Ranma. He had   
rejected her once, unknowingly, but rejected her all the same.   
Could she bear for him to do it again if it came to that? Being   
Ranma's fiancee gave her life meaning. What was she to do if   
that meaning was taken away?  
  
Then another unexpected thought struck her. Even if she did   
ended up marrying Ranma, would she really be happy then?   
Ukyou was awed at the question. She would be Ranma   
Saotome's wife, the best out of all the fiancees, the only one truly   
worthy of having his love. Why wouldn't she be happy?  
  
As she stared hard at her image in the sink, the answer came   
to her. It would be nice to be Mrs. Saotome, Ukyou thought, but   
her problems would still be there, wouldn't they? They wouldn't   
go away. She would simply be donning another façade. She had   
been Ukyou Kuonji, male, and Ukyou Kuonji, cheerful   
okonomiyaki chef and fiancee. And following in a long line of   
masks would be Ukyou Kuonji, happy homemaker.  
  
How long had it been since she had seen her true self in her   
reflection? And more importantly, did that true self even still   
exist? She had hid from herself for practically her whole life but   
now the question she had eluded for so long had finally caught   
up with her. Who was she?  
  
This was a question that almost every member of humanity   
asked themselves at one point or another in their lives and like   
most of them, Ukyou was no closer to an answer simply because   
she thought to ask. That made her angry, the thought that after   
all this soul searching she had nothing to show for it. What was   
the use in wondering about what ifs?  
  
Ukyou stood up and furiously pulled the stopper out of the   
sink and watched as the water swirled down the drain. Soon, all   
the water was gone but she could still see her reflection in the   
remaining droplets of liquid. With a cry of rage, she took out her   
battle spatula and bashed the sink over and over again until it was   
unrecognizable. Then she threw the spatula away from her as far   
as she could and broke down and cried.  
  
Time marched by, how much she didn't know, but she finally   
stopped her sobbing long enough to compose herself. Ukyou felt   
strangely calm as if something that was bottled inside her had   
been released. She was no better off than when she started, yet   
for some odd reason she didn't feel as bad as when she had   
started. She was still miserable but somehow things didn't seem   
as terrible as before. Doing this was almost... therapeutic.   
  
Ukyou smiled to herself. She could just imagine herself going   
to a shrink and scaring him or her to death with the story of her   
life. Getting up, she surveyed the damage and whistled softly. It   
looked like she wouldn't be able to eat out for a while. Again,   
she thought it odd that she wasn't more upset but she didn't care   
enough to question that blessing for the moment.  
  
It was time for a change. Nothing as drastic as confronting   
Ranma or anything like that. What she had in mind was more of   
a vacation. She needed time to think and she certainly couldn't   
do that in Nerima with school, her business, and chaotic mess of   
rivals and fiancees! While it was true that wandering had never   
helped her solve any real problems before, she was sure that it   
would be different this time around.  
  
Still ruminating over the possibilities, she was heading toward   
the storage room when she heard the front door open. Ukyou   
frowned as she remembered that she had closed the restaurant.   
Cautiously sticking her head out of the kitchen, she spotted a   
dark, huddled outline of a man sitting in the far-most corner. As   
she watched, the mysterious figure continued mumbling quietly   
and rapidly to himself, stopping briefly at times to laugh   
maniacally and hysterically.  
  
Launching herself into the air and brandishing her giant   
spatula at the same time, she landed in front of the crouched   
shape and put up a defensive posture. Then she got a good look   
at her uninvited guest and saw that it was Ryouga, who looked   
awful. He was disheveled and had a look of sheer panic in his   
eyes and he didn't seem to comprehend where he was.  
  
"Are you all right, sugar?" Ukyou asked tentatively.  
  
A dim spark of comprehension lighted in those eyes and   
Ukyou suddenly found her legs wrapped in a deathgrip by   
Ryouga's arms. His formerly unintelligible gibbering became clear.  
  
"...the world's gone crazy! It doesn't make any sense anymore.   
What am I supposed to do now? I hate Ranma but I really don't   
hate Ranma but I do! Now he's a she or is there both a he and a   
she? How is it that I can hate one and like the other? And which   
Ranma is it I don't hate? I don't know anymore. My life's goal is   
gone now and everything is all messed up..."  
  
"I can deal with Ranma and me not being enemies anymore.   
We were never that bad to begin with anyway, right? It'll take   
some getting used to but it's okay, right? But now he's, no she's,   
acting real strange. She's wearing funny clothes and she tried to   
hug me! It's crazy, crazy, crazy..."  
  
Ukyou didn't understand all that Ryouga was saying but she   
caught enough of it to realize that Ryouga was once again making   
a big deal out of nothing. As the lost boy continued his   
distraught babbling, the chef couldn't help but smile to herself as a   
thought occurred to her. It wasn't a nice thing to think but that   
didn't make it any less true. When one is feeling down, it never   
hurts to know there's someone out there that's feeling worse.  
  
  
=============================================  
Author's Notes:  
  
(Vincent looks in shock at the impossibly long piece of writing  
before him and gapes openly)  
  
I had all this stuff I had planned to mention but now I just can't  
do it. I apologize for my unprofessionalism but I really can't  
comprehend the sheer number of words here. It's just so much and   
this is all new to me so forgive me.  
  
You have to understand that it once took me two years just to write  
a 15,000 word story and now I'm averaging almost that much just   
every few months!!!   
  
I just don't understand it. And if I'm confused now, I shudder to   
think about how I'll feel when the full implications of writing   
Chapter 8 will hit me!   
  
And because of my dazed state, I'm just going to allow this chapter   
to stand on its own merits for once.  
  
So all those explanations I were going to give, the witty comments  
I would have made, the numerous footnotes I like to write so much...  
  
Never mind. I'm going to go lie down now.  
  
Fin 10/07/01 


	8. Recovery and Transformation

funvince@hotmail.com  
http://www.angelfire.com/anime2/ranmanexus/ranmaweb/splits.html  
This series take place after the events depicted in volume 38   
of the Ranma manga but also draws ideas from the anime.  
Or was it the other way around? I keep contradicting   
myself on this issue for some reason!  
  
The characters of the Ranma 1/2 universe are the creation of  
the talented Rumiko Takahashi and are owned by her and  
Shogagukan, Kitty and Viz Communications.  
  
I am using them for *sob* NON-PROFIT! So please don't   
punish this poor excuse for a writer. :)  
  
The characters that are not a part of Ranma 1/2 canon were  
created or adapted by the twisted mind of Vincent Nguyen.   
  
***********************************************  
  
THE SPLITTING: A RANMA 1/2 FANFICTION  
  
CHAPTER VIII: RECOVERY AND TRANSFORMATION  
  
By Vincent Nguyen  
  
***********************************************  
  
-Chapter 8-  
  
Ukyou couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes she   
saw Ranma's body being pounded on by the monster. It had been a   
week but she still couldn't get the horror out of her mind and   
if she did sleep she was haunted by nightmares which generally   
involved her stumbling upon Ranma's corpse and the like. She   
tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable, and finally   
decided this was one of those no-win situations. Maybe a glass   
of water would calm her down.  
  
She blearily dragged herself into the kitchen and sagged   
against one of her counters. She was so tired! Her body   
twitched as she tried to summon the will to get up and was about   
to give up when she spotted a beam of light coming from the   
dining area. Instantly she was awake and reached under the sink   
for her spare combat spatula and was about to go out and mete   
some justice Kuonji-style when she remembered she had a guest.   
Ukyou poked her head up and her face softened.  
  
Ryouga was sprawled over a table with his head resting on a   
notebook and a pen clutched in his right hand. An electric   
lantern illuminated his sleeping features. He appeared to have   
fallen asleep while writing and Ukyou couldn't help feeling bad.   
The night after he'd recovered from his nervous breakdown, she'd   
agreed to take him in until he decided where he wanted to go but   
only if he'd work off some of the damages he'd caused before.   
  
She had been rather irritable all week due to her lack of   
sleep and had taken it out on Ryouga. Usually, the lost boy   
would fight back but he was still desolate about not being   
around to save Akane. Konastu had tried his best to keep Ryouga   
on track and spare him the wrath of Ukyou and gotten yelled at   
for his trouble. She'd apologize to them in the morning.  
  
She jabbed he lost boy in the side to wake him and tell him   
to go to bed and he began mumbling and swatting at her with his   
free arm. Ukyou stifled a giggle and poked him again, but this   
time Ryouga's arm swept out in an arc. She barely dodged only   
to be hit by the notebook that flew out from under his head.   
Ukyou knelt down to pick it up and Ryouga's mumbling changed   
back into snores. Glancing down, she saw she was holding   
Ryouga's journal and a burst of curiosity overcame her. She   
glanced around guiltily then she started flipping.  
  
There was nothing too exciting in the beginning.   
Deciphering the scrawls, she read details of various travels,   
the occasional fights with wild animals, and the even rarer   
admissions of weariness over his life and lack of friends.   
These events were eerily similar to the ones in her own   
wanderer's journal and she found that to be rather sad. Her own   
isolation had been self-imposed but Ryouga never had a choice.   
She soon skimmed over Ryouga's first encounters with Ranma since   
the entries tended to consist of grumbling and threats then   
decided to skip ahead.   
  
She was in the middle of a description of Ryouga's trek   
toward the Cursed Springs of Jusenkyo when she paused. She   
would soon get into what she called the 'Nerima Years' and that   
wasn't a box she wanted to get into. It wasn't her place to   
read Ryouga's thoughts on Ranma and Akane. She mightily   
resisted the urge to see what he thought about her.  
  
Hoping to find a nice anecdote to settle to sleep with, she   
flipped to the most recent entry. It seemed Ryouga hadn't   
updated his journal in more than a week before he even got here.   
It looked like she would get her wish. After all, what could   
possibly happen in a week in the middle of nowhere?  
  
She began to read.  
  
  
As usual, Ryouga was lost but for once he didn't care. In   
his mind, he kept replaying the conversation he had with Ranma   
in the park in what seemed like so long ago. She had seemed   
surprised he wasn't more uncomfortable around her but he didn't   
see why he would be. There were some absolutes in the world and   
one was Ranma was Ranma, no matter what form he took or how many   
of him there was.  
  
No, what bothered him was how he and Ranma talked almost   
been like they were friends. wasn't very unusual by itself   
since their relationship of being friends/rivals had changed   
many times and he was used to it but this was one of the few   
times he was *concerned* for the pig-tailed menace and always   
disturbed him. He had maintained his life was hell and that was   
why he was justified in making Ranma miserable but when he   
compared their two lives, it was a rather close call.  
  
The nice thing about being on the road all the time was a   
person got time to think. Unfortunately, for Ryouga, his   
thoughts tended to run in established circles and since he   
wasn't used to thinking Ranma was an okay guy, his mind kept   
trying to jump onto the familiar track of automatically blaming   
Ranma for everything went wrong in his life, whether it made   
sense or not.  
  
Sighing heavily, he wished he had someone beside himself to   
talk this with. As if in response to his thoughts, Ryouga   
spotted a man a few yards ahead of him. Ryouga slowed as he   
didn't recall seeing the man there earlier. The stranger looked   
like a woodsman but Ryouga could tell he wasn't one by the   
newness and cleanliness of his garments. Extending his ki   
sense, he could tell this was a man to be reckoned with.  
  
The stranger smiled at him like he knew him then gave a   
small bow. Ryouga bowed back uncertainly and the man said,   
"Ryouga Hibiki! I have been waiting for you and I must admit   
you got here sooner than I expected. nobody's perfect. I   
suppose I could have appeared out of thin air wherever you   
happened to be but that seems too much like showing off,   
wouldn't you agree?"  
  
This was obviously a powerful person but his friendly   
nature set Ryouga at ease. He thought he could trust the guy   
but he wasn't exactly a great judge of character so he stayed on   
guard. He asked a little defensively, "Who are you and how do   
you know my name?"  
  
"I am an Observer. As you can guess, that means I watch   
and I listen. One of my jobs is to watch the people I'm   
assigned who have the potential to be great. Whether they be   
thinkers or fighters, important or not. So to answer your   
question, I know a great deal about you."  
  
A folder appeared in his hand and he flipped it open.   
"Hibiki, Ryouga. Birth date, medical history, etc. Blah, blah.   
Let's see, summary and conclusions. An extremely powerful   
martial artist who wanders around Japan because of his lack of   
direction. An independent but lonely individual. might be due   
to his lack of parenting as a child and because the family curse   
prevents his having a normal life. This explains his explosive   
temper, his tendency to use violence to solve his problems, and   
his unexplained grudge against one Ranma Saotome.   
  
"Since meeting said Saotome, subject has gotten cursed at   
Jusenkyo. He currently uses his curse to get close to the woman   
he loves, an Akane Tendo because he feels she'd never love him   
as a human. By being her pet, he has abused a promise of honor   
he extracted from Ranma Saotome..."  
  
"Stop!" Ryouga yelled and he was shaking with anger and   
shame. He wanted to vent his rage but he sensed this man could   
put Saffron to shame. He'd suspected the gods laughed at him.   
It was his luck it happened to be true. Hearing himself   
described so painfully yet accurately hurt and he had to force   
calmness into his voice as he said, "Okay, you know a lot about   
me. But why are you here? Don't you have anybody more   
important to bother?"  
  
"Shame on you. Every life is important. Observers   
normally don't interfere but these circumstances are anything   
but normal. Out of everyone assigned to my watch, you alone   
have no one to turn to for help. And we can't afford to have   
your rivalry with Ranma Saotome go on any longer. We need you   
to stop hounding him."  
  
"Ranma ruined my life! Why should he get off free?"  
  
The Observer looked interested. "But how did he ruin your   
life? Why do you hate Ranma so much?"  
  
Ryouga gave a harsh laugh. "You have to ask? He's the   
reason I got this curse-"  
  
"Which you got from following Ranma and his father to   
China," the man interrupted smoothly. "I admit Ranma knocking   
you into the spring is his fault regardless of the circumstances   
but your hostility began long before that. Why?"  
  
Ryouga knew the being was humoring him but he didn't care.   
"He ran away from our man to man duel!"  
  
"He waited three days which was rather nice of him. I   
wouldn't exactly call it running away..."  
  
He was enraged and didn't want to hear this. "He should   
have waited longer! He knows I get lost easily! He knows I   
would have gotten there eventually! Do you know how I felt when   
I finally found the lot and no one was there?"  
  
"You were angry but didn't you overreact a bit? It was a   
bread feud. If it was honor you're worried about you had   
already forfeited and should have gone on with your life."  
  
"And let him get away with what he did? It may be a dumb   
bread feud to you but it was important to me!" Ryouga said   
bitterly. He turned to go, not caring if the man could turn him   
into a slug. He refused to listen to someone who obviously did   
not understand.  
  
Walking away, he heard the stranger say almost casually,   
"I thought Ranma's actions of leading to and from school every   
day the entire time he was there would have more than made up   
for that."   
  
Ryouga froze and could barely breathe as the man behind him   
continued, "Seeing how without his help, it would have taken   
you anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to find the school.   
Now, what is the real reason for your hatred of Ranma?"  
  
He was beyond anger. He was tired of being evasive when   
this guy was obviously mocking him. Ryouga slowly turned around   
and said quietly, "Why are you even asking? Don't you already   
know everything?"  
  
The Observer replied gently, "I want to hear it from you."  
  
"Fine. Do you know what it's like to grow up seeing your   
own parents maybe only once a year? To constantly get lost and   
be made fun of as an idiot? Or else be feared as a psycho   
because you can dent concrete walls?"  
  
"I can't say I ever experienced that."   
  
Ryouga looked up sharply but there was no pity on the other   
man's face. "I have. My life was one tragedy after another   
until Ranma came. He treated me like a person and he helped   
improve my fighting skills. It's funny, isn't it? My most   
hated enemy was my best friend. My only friend. But he didn't   
even care enough to say goodbye when he left!"  
  
He sunk to the ground and whispered, "I wanted him to know   
I appreciated everything he did for me. That duel was going to   
be my way to say goodbye."  
  
There was silence. Ryouga's head whirled over what he   
said. He finally admitted the truth to himself. It had been   
submerged so long he couldn't comprehend it but he couldn't deny   
it any more. He had been cheated of something that mattered to   
him and so he went after Ranma. It wasn't like he had anything   
in his life to tie him down or anyone that would miss him. When   
had a mission born of impulse and despair turned into one of   
revenge? Wasn't he tired of it? Finally, he looked up and   
said, "I'm still not ready to forgive him."  
  
"I'm not asking you to."  
  
"It's not about the feud anymore. He treats Akane badly   
and he's made a fool of me too many times."  
  
"I suggest you find other ways to settle those things with   
him."  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Ryouga exclaimed, throwing his   
hands into the air. "What's the point?"  
  
The Observer stared at him and asked, "We need you to stop   
your feud with Ranma. Will you do it?"  
  
Ryouga wanted to shout he didn't have to do anything   
but he sensed this was too important for childish antics.   
Reluctantly, he nodded.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Ryouga barely noticed the other man's disappearance. This   
promise didn't change anything. He certainly wasn't going to be   
buddy-buddy with the jerk because of this. He certainly wasn't   
going to tell Ranma about this! Maybe he couldn't blindly   
attack him anymore but he didn't have to know! Let him sweat   
trying to figure out what devious ploy the Hibiki boy was up to!  
  
His shoulders slumped. Only he was that paranoid and what   
was the point? What was the point of anything now? Akane was   
lost to him, he could admit to himself if no one else, he   
didn't know if he had any real feelings for Akari, and his only   
other reason for existing had been taken away from him for   
reasons he didn't understand. It figured Ranma the wonder boy   
would get divine intervention for his problems. He felt   
painfully hollow and yet relieved. Someone had finally stepped   
in and broken the cycle of madness he'd been trapped in.   
  
But what was he going to do with his life now? Fighting   
Ranma was all he had and it was the closest thing to a life he   
had. Didn't he deserve some happiness too? Was he destined to   
spend the rest of his life lonely and depressed?  
  
Unbidden words flowed into his mind. *...the family curse   
prevents him from having a normal life...*  
  
Ryouga straightened and got to his feet. Maybe there was   
something he could do after all.  
  
  
Ukyou wiped off the tear that ran down her face. It might   
seem strange to others she felt bad for the lost boy but in a   
strange way she understood. She knew what it was like to have   
one's life become directionless and confused. Her quest for   
revenge on Ranma Saotome had lasted longer than Ryouga's and   
giving it up had not been easy. She had forgiven Ranma in her   
heart after her first fight with him in Nerima but it took her a   
long time to figure out what to do with her life. Hunting down   
Ranma had been a hard life but a much simpler one. Living   
life again with its complications and heartaches was one of the   
hardest things she'd ever done.   
  
She'd disapproved of Ryouga's constant battles against   
Ranma because she felt he was taking the easy way out but now   
she felt concern. He had many problems and got depressed so   
easily. Would he be able to make it through this transition?   
If he couldn't find his parents, would he do something stupid   
and crazy? Ukyou got very worried. This *was* Ryouga.  
  
Ukyou felt eyes on her and she turned the sight of Ryouga's   
bemused face. Running through several options in her head,   
including one where she brained Ryouga with her spatula and ran   
for it, she finally smiled sheepishly and said, "Uh, sorry?"  
  
Ryouga waved a hand. "It's okay. It's not like I have any   
real secrets everyone doesn't already know, right? I wanted to   
tell somebody about what happened to me anyway."  
  
"You're taking this better than I would," Ukyou said in   
disbelief. "I mean, I read your private thoughts!"  
  
Ryouga gave her a lazy squint and replied, "I guess girls   
are more melodramatic and paranoid about their diaries."  
  
Ukyou bristled over the implied insult and was about to   
give him a piece of her mind (heaven knows he needed it!) when   
she noticed how sad he looked. She took a seat across from him   
and said gently, "What's wrong, sugar?"  
  
Sinking his head onto his arms, Ryouga replied, "Nothing.   
Everything. What does it matter if you read my journal?   
Heck, let's give it to Ranma to read! Someone should get some   
enjoyment out of my messed up life. It's not like I am."  
  
"Honey, I'm not laughing at you and nobody with any decency   
would either. Please cheer up. Because if you start glowing   
I'll have to hit you and I don't want to. I'm too tired."  
  
To her astonishment, Ryouga finally smiled. He sat up and   
said, "Thanks, Ukyou." His face turned serious again. "It's   
been nice of you to take me in but I'll have to leave soon. My   
parents were last seen in Osaka."  
  
At Ukyou's questioning look, he said, "I've made a few   
calls. Trust me, when a Hibiki walks through town, you hear   
about it. Too bad information like this never does me any good   
but I have to try."  
  
Ryouga looked very forlorn and Ukyou opened her mouth to   
offer to make him an okonomayaki but what came out was, "Can I   
come with you?"  
  
The surprise on Ryouga's face matched exactly how she felt   
but it was too late to take it back. She twiddled her thumbs   
and said, "It'd be nice to go on an adventure for once. The   
restaurant can survive a few days closed. Besides, you'll never   
make it to Osaka by yourself!"   
  
Frowning, Ryouga mulled this over then said, "I guess it'd   
be nice to have some company and you wouldn't slow me down; but,   
I'm in a hurry so if want to say goodbye to Ranma you better be   
quick. I already told Akane I was leaving yesterday."  
  
"I don't need to say goodbye. I'll be gone for only a few   
days, right?" Ukyou said trying to sound casual. She wasn't   
sure she was up to seeing Ranma's battered body again. She   
wanted some breathing room from Nerima. Briefly, she wondered   
if Ranma would even notice her absence when he woke up.  
  
Ukyou thought of something. "But let's get one thing   
straight. I know how your mind works. You fell for Akane and   
Akari because they were nice to you. Don't get any funny ideas   
about me, mister."  
  
Ryouga practically sneered at her as he replied, "Since   
you're not exactly up there in the niceness department, I don't   
think you have anything to worry about. And I know how obsessed   
you are with Ranma."  
  
Ukyou snorted. "Who are you calling obsessed, P-chan?"  
  
They glared at each other for a moment then burst out   
laughing. Ukyou fought to catch her breath then said, "It'll   
take me a few minutes to change and pack, okay?"  
  
"I'll wait for you outside then."  
  
"Uh huh," Ukyou replied absently as she mentally compiled   
a list of supplies. The sound of the door creaking made her   
realize her mistake.  
  
"Ah darn! Ryouga, get back here!"  
  
  
Doctor Tofu stared at the stack of paperwork he still had   
to fill out and sighed. It was times like this when he   
remembered why he went into private practice. The staff of   
Tokyo General Hospital had reluctantly accepted his help when   
they discovered whom they were dealing with and then after they   
heard what he was capable of had taken to dumping various   
difficult patients into his lap. He was flattered to have the   
respect of his medical peers but he was too concerned about his   
own patients to deal with this influx of strangers.  
  
His beeping watch alerted him it was time for his daily   
chat with Nabiki and the female Ranma. He smiled briefly to   
himself as he walked up the flights to the Recovery ward. Both   
girls had pleasantly surprised him in the last week and he   
looked forward to seeing them again.   
  
Ranma seemed more relaxed now she had dropped her overly   
macho guise, which had never been too convincing even on her   
male self, and despite changes in gender and clothing she was   
still her. Though she continued to insist she had no intention   
of living as a girl permanently and Tofu would have it no other   
way she no longer seemed to be depressed.  
  
But while Ranma's change was surprising, he'd have to   
consider Nabiki's transformation as more astounding. He'd known   
Nabiki was a nice girl if a bit mischievous but she had tried   
hard to keep that part of her a deep secret, but she seemed to   
have thrown that to the wind lately. She'd convinced Principal   
Kuno to pay for the students' hospital bills and in exchange she   
would get the school rebuilt cheaply and efficiently which would   
save him more money in the long run and of course PR was a must   
in times like this.   
  
Two days later, an anonymous article appeared in the Nerima   
paper describing the gas leak that had destroyed the school and   
the heroics demonstrated by Ranma Saotome, Ukyou Kuonji, and   
Tatewaki Kuno among others. went a long way toward calming the   
populace and raising public morale among the many Neriman   
citizens who still haven't accepted reality. To his knowledge,   
Nabiki was in no way benefiting from these acts monetarily. He   
felt Soun should know if he didn't already. He'd be proud.  
  
The two girls were sitting in the hallway outside Akane   
and Ranma's room. Nabiki was wearing a business suit and   
Ranma was in a female version of the usual Chinese short-sleeved   
red shirt and black pants. There was the obligatory small talk   
then Tofu led them into the room. The patients were sleeping   
and looked much healthier than a week ago.  
  
"Ranma and Akane are both remarkably well. The skin grafts   
we placed on Akane are working well and she has shown a few   
moments of lucidity over the last week and should make a full   
recovery soon," he said. He didn't mention the constant   
nightmares the young Tendo girl had that forced her to be   
further sedated for her own protection. Only Kasumi knew about   
that and she didn't want to worry her family. She had been by   
every day to hold Akane's hand and try to calm her down. It   
didn't always work.  
  
"Ranma has healed at an exceptional rate which has put the   
hospital staff in an uproar." Tofu smiled briefly then   
continued, "He's not completely back to normal and he still   
hasn't shown any sign of consciousness, but he has gotten out of   
his coma and is now in some kind of meditative state."  
  
The relief in the room was palatable. Ranma elbowed Nabiki   
and said, "What'd I tell ya? Nothing keeps Ranma Saotome down!"  
  
Nabiki rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Three cheers for   
the pig-tailed wonder. It's about time. Hospital beds aren't   
cheap, you know." She was smiling.  
  
Ranma walked over the bed and looked at her counterpart.   
She said, "He's in a healing trance. Learned it when I was little.   
It's helped me out a lot."  
  
"There's no medical reason for these two to stay here   
any more. The hospital needs these beds so I'm going to take   
them back to the clinic for observation. How is Nerima?"  
  
Nabiki replied, "School's still out but it might not be for   
long. I heard the city was cleaning out an old storage facility   
where classes could be held until something better came along.   
Some people have heard rumors of what happened and been to the   
dojo asking questions. Since they're mostly neighbors who have   
already seen so much supernatural phenomenon I saw no harm in   
giving them an edited version of the truth."  
  
"For only 20,000 yen!" Ranma mocked. Nabiki elbowed her   
in the ribs hard then continued, "Nerima's been very quiet the   
last week and that's kinda disturbing. Cologne's still missing   
and I haven't a clue where Happosai's hold up." Ranma growled at   
the mention of the old pervert's name.  
  
Tofu considered this information. Something big was   
happening and the two sages that would normally help out were   
missing. He usually sat out on the chaos that constantly   
permeated Ranma Saotome's life but it seemed this time he might   
have to help figure this out. He realized Nabiki was waiting   
for a reply so he asked, "And things at home?"  
  
Nabiki gave an exasperated sigh. "Daddy's been crying all   
week but Mr. and Mrs. Saotome are pulling him out of it. Even   
Kasumi's a little frazzled. It'd do a lot of good if you could   
stop by for a few minutes and talk to the family."  
  
The prospect of seeing Kasumi was very tempting, but then   
he remembered what happened to him the last time he was around   
her. Hell, every time he was around her. He hesitated then   
said, "I better not. I must keep a clear head. I'm running   
behind at the clinic and I don't think my patients would   
appreciate a rendition of *Betty and me."  
  
Nabiki looked at him strangely then said, "'s too bad but   
please stop by if you change your mind." She and Ranma said   
their good-byes and left.  
  
Tofu sank into a chair and sighed. It was so frustrating   
not to be able to hold an intelligent conversation with Kasumi.   
She was so beautiful and nice he literally became tongue-tied   
and lost all control of his motor skills when near her. She   
likely thought him mad and that only made the condition worse.   
This was no mere case of shyness; he felt like he was having   
epilepsy. He knew why this happened and who was responsible for   
his condition but that didn't help solve it.  
  
The outburst Ranma made he last time he visited the   
Tendos made him realize not only was he being irresponsible   
to his patients, he was being unfair to Kasumi. He was taking   
her for granted, assuming she'd be there forever. Letters and   
emails weren't enough. Until he got things figured out   
and Nerima went back to if not normal then at least *safer*,   
it'd be better for everyone if he stayed away. He owed it   
to Kasumi and to his patients. The decision was logical   
and it was rational so why did it feel so painful?  
  
He left orders for the transport of his two patients then   
hung up the hall phone and returned to the room for one final   
evaluation. A burst of cold air met him when he opened the door   
and he blinked in surprise when he saw an elderly woman dressed   
in a loose fitting gi standing over Ranma's bed. There was   
something familiar about her. Tofu took a closer look. It   
couldn't be!  
  
"Sensei Ming?" he asked in disbelief.   
  
The woman looked up at him and smiled. "Ono, don't look   
so surprised. Surely you've seen a ghost before or at least   
watched the original Star Wars trilogy?"  
  
"Sorry, I've only heard about ghosts secondhand. I've   
never met one." This was too surreal. What was going on here?   
Demons and now ghosts. He was in way past his head. "What are   
you doing here?"  
  
"I'm visiting another of my students," Ming replied   
pointing at Ranma. "He has led an exciting life, hasn't he?"  
  
"To say the least," Tofu said dryly. It was getting easy   
to ignore the fact this woman was dead. He instinctively   
treated her as the honored teacher he remembered. "But I'm   
assuming this is not a social visit."  
  
Ming's smile faded and she shook her head. "Ah, Ono.   
Direct as always I see. Have a seat. This could take some   
time." In a graceful movement, she picked up one leg then the   
other until she sat cross-legged floating in the air. She had   
done that often enough when she was alive but for some strange   
reason it was even odder now she was a ghost. Bemused, Tofu   
took a seat and waited for his former teacher to begin.  
  
"Ghosts or spirits occupy a special place in the hierarchy   
of beings. Neither alive nor truly dead in the conventional   
sense of the word we are mostly ignored or treated as outcasts.   
Even more than the vampires or the zombies because we don't even   
have the illusion of life. For most of human history, we would   
watch the events of the supernatural and natural world until we   
could move on. There was little else to do besides haunt people   
and even then there were few places where we could make our   
presence known."  
  
Tofu made a show of looking around the hospital room then   
said, "I'm guessing that's changed."  
  
Ming smiled at him. "Good guess. A few weeks ago a   
god visited the spirit world and asked for our help. In   
exchange we would get limited autonomy to go where we wished   
in the world."  
  
"Why limited?" Tofu asked.  
  
"The world would be hard-pressed to deal with the constant   
influx of ghosts if complete freedom was allowed. We accepted   
the deal because we couldn't pass up a chance to be useful.   
There's a shortage of available people for this task."  
  
"And where does Ranma come in?"  
  
"I don't know. He's pretty important in all this but   
that's not why I'm here. I came for you."  
  
"Me?" Tofu asked taken back. The surprises kept mounting.   
"For what?"  
  
Ming gave him the mysterious smile that always annoyed him.   
She replied, "This is where it gets interesting."  
  
Tofu listened to her explanation and couldn't disagree.   
It'd look like he would be away from his clinic longer than   
he'd thought.  
  
  
Kuno fidgeted and wondered why he was nervous. He hadn't   
felt this way since his first kendo lesson. Maybe it was   
because he had, on the spur of a moment, asked to be taught by   
the mother of his worst enemy. He was admitting there was room   
for improvement in his sword skills. His pride rankled at that   
but he fought it down. It was surprisingly easy to do so.  
  
He had been feeling... odd the last few weeks and he didn't   
understand it. Something had awoken inside him and he had spent   
much of his time trying to determine what it was. He knew the   
other students were wondering about his behavior and while that   
was hardly new it was the first time he acknowledged that fact   
to himself. He found himself wondering why so few people liked   
him or why if he wanted to date Akane so badly he allowed her to   
win their fights. He had never cared or thought about these   
things before. It was unfortunate there was no one to which he   
could explain his turmoil.  
  
But this was not the time. He knocked on the door and   
Nodoka Saotome opened it and she invited him in. Kuno looked   
around the house and thought once again it was surprisingly   
beautiful for one related to the likes of Ranma Saotome. It was   
true the mother possessed greater grace and dignity than either   
her son or husband but he hadn't expected such wealth. Here and   
there he saw holes in the wall had been plastered over. He   
dimly remembered Kodachi shamefully telling him about wrecking   
the home of Ranma's mother. He didn't know if Kodachi had made   
restitution and could find no polite way to ask his hostess.   
He'd talk to his sister later.  
  
Mrs. Saotome led him back to the courtyard and kneeled down   
on stone floor and closed her eyes. He did the same and joined   
her in the meditation. It was difficult to quiet his mind   
because of the excitement he felt. He didn't know why he was   
sure something was going to happen today but he was. So far the   
Saotome matriarch had taught him nothing relating to the sword.   
  
The first day he arrived he had thought to impress his   
hostess by regaling her with tales of his past victories. She   
had listened politely and to Kuno's great chagrin he saw dusk   
had fallen by the time he was through and there was no time to   
practice. He was also astonished. No one had ever sat through   
one of his monologues before.  
  
The next day he came back determined to not waste any more   
time but somehow he fell into a heated discussion over whether   
samurai ideals could survive intact into the modern era or if   
they'd have to be adapted. Mrs. Saotome felt flexibility was   
required in all honor codes and mercy and not the strict letter   
of the law should prevail. She was extremely passionate about   
this and acted as if she had much practice discussing the   
subject. Kuno felt their ancestors knew what they were doing   
and this age was decadent and had lost their moral compass.   
Right was right and wrong was wrong. Gray areas were for the   
weak. Kuno was so focused on proving his point he once again   
lost track of time.  
  
He came back the next day deciding to take the initiative   
and demand he be taught the special technique. Over the   
afternoon tea he opened his mouth to make his demand but Mrs.   
Saotome surprised him again by saying she wanted to hear what   
Kuno thought of her son. She had been by the hospital and she   
was in the mood to talk about Ranma. This put Kuno in a bind.   
Speaking ill of his hostess's child was surely no way to curry   
favor but neither did he feel it honorable to lie.   
  
He was about to politely decline when Mrs. Saotome stood up   
and began going through a simple sword kata. There was nothing   
new or even complex about it and a student of only months could   
have performed it but it was the most she'd done all week so he   
thought it wise to comply with her request. He had tried to   
stay vague while seeking something nice to say but he couldn't   
help himself and soon he was ranting and making it clear he   
thought Ranma was a dishonorable, egotistical cretin.  
  
Mrs. Saotome's sword flew out of her hand, flipped around   
in the air, and landed point-first through the wooden floor   
directly in front of where he was kneeling. He gaped at it and   
swallowed hard before he looked up expecting to see an angry   
mother, but instead he saw Mrs. Saotome with a hand on her face   
looking very embarrassed. Kuno was still gathering his wits   
when she exclaimed she felt like taking a stroll around her   
garden and dragged him off before he could protest.  
  
Kuno's fists tightened in anxiety when he remembered what   
happened next. Mrs. Saotome enthusiastically showed him the   
rare plants she had in her garden. A bit too enthusiastically.   
She had a tendency to use her sword as a pointer while she   
whirled back and forth and came near to taking off his head a   
few times! Each time he got to his feet he was sure she was   
mocking him somehow but she stared back with an innocent,   
apologetic look and he was once again terribly confused.  
  
Another fifteen minutes into the tour of death he claimed a   
headache, which was no lie, and fled home to his sanctuary. He   
didn't know what to think. Part of him was convinced the woman   
was toying with him while another part thought she was wasting   
his time and knew nothing at all. Nodoka Saotome didn't seem to   
have any martial skill and he was on the verge of calling the   
whole thing off, but the memory of that powerful technique   
wouldn't leave him. He thought about and finally came to a   
satisfactory conclusion. Mrs. Saotome seemed clumsy but even so   
she was the most skilled klutz he'd ever seen. Therefore, she   
was trying to scare him off. It took more than a few   
decapitating blows to scare off Tatewaki Kuno!  
  
A faint rustle of cloth told him the meditation time was   
over. Mrs. Saotome carefully placed her wrapped katana against   
a wall and picked up a bokken. Quietly, she walked to one side   
of the yard and Kuno went to the other. They stood at opposite   
ends of the courtyard for a moment then at an unspoken signal   
rushed each other.   
  
Kuno saw immediately the older woman was nowhere near his   
league so he slowed down but that didn't seem to make much   
difference. With each strike, Mrs. Saotome got more off-balance   
and she was entirely on the defensive. Her face was confused   
and she didn't seem to know what she was doing but he couldn't   
allow himself to be distracted. With precise strikes and rapid   
footwork, he drove her back to a wall then he raised his bokken   
for a simulated killing stroke. He didn't know what hit him.  
  
When he came to, he found himself lying against an oak tree   
and Mrs. Saotome was standing patiently across the yard with not   
even a hair out of place. She said softly, "Underestimating   
your opponent in a serious battle can get you killed."  
  
Kuno was angry. He got to his feet and growled, "I warn   
you this time I will not hold back and for your sake I suggest   
you do not also."  
  
Mrs. Saotome looked at him and said, "Do not be angry. You   
do have a great deal of potential. You have speed and strength   
but you need to work on your defense and your concentration.   
You are easily distracted and I see while you are skilled at   
kendo you have allowed yourself to be locked into a rigid   
mindset. A few weeks should take care of that."  
  
Each sentence punctured a hole in his ego and he could not   
listen. He disappeared into a blue streak. Time slowed down as   
he bore down on his opponent. Mrs. Saotome made a movement he   
couldn't see and once again he felt the impact of flesh upon   
wood as he crashed into the tree. Again, he got up and tried   
again. Over and over his body slammed into the mighty oak until   
he was convinced collusion would topple the great tree. Each   
strike he made, each strategy he employed was parried aside as   
easily as he would swat a fly.  
  
She was incredibly fast, faster than he was. His defenses   
were penetrated almost immediately each time and he was sent   
flying into the tree. From his new position on the ground, Kuno   
realized without a doubt this woman was a Saotome. He was   
dismayed at being beaten so easily and couldn't even bring   
himself to create an excuse to explain this failure. She had   
beaten him fairly with the sword.  
  
With great difficulty, Kuno got to his feet and gave a bow   
of respect to Mrs. Saotome. "I must admit I had my doubts but   
you have convinced me of your suitability to be my instructor."  
  
Mrs. Saotome bowed back and smiled grimly. She said, "I   
thank you for your kind words but I am afraid I can not respond   
in kind. You lack the qualities required of a good student."  
  
Kuno sputtered in shock. "How could you not want a Kuno as   
a student? Especially one such as me? The rising star of the   
kendo world?" He would have continued on in the same vein if the   
woman across from him had not raised her hand for silence.  
  
"I'm not sure what you need me for. To improve your   
skills? You already seem convinced of your own greatness." She   
smiled sardonically. "Indeed, I try to point out a few holes   
that need to be shored up and you attack me."  
  
Kuno tried to apologize but Mrs. Saotome glared him into   
silence. She said, "Pride will be your downfall. If it was   
merely arrogance, I could help you. Arrogant students can be   
tempered but prideful students refuse to admit they are   
imperfect. I lack the patience to beat lessons into you. I do   
not know if I can teach you. Your mind is too closed, too full   
to hold anything more and your attitude concerns me. My son   
defeats you constantly but rather than learn and improve you   
accuse him of cheating. In a real battle, you would be dead.  
  
"I have listened to you for many hours to get a sense of   
what type of person you are. You wish to be a great fighter but   
refuse to admit you need improvement. You think yourself   
superior to others so you feel you do not have to respect them.   
You want to be like the samurais of old yet you lack true honor.   
Actions speak louder than words. You boast and you bluster but   
you have nothing to show for it.  
  
"I have studied the concept of honor for many years and it   
is more complex than many people think. It is not as black and   
white as you seem to believe. The old samurais performed heroic   
acts to back up their arrogant boasts. They did seek glory and   
fame but they also helped people. At least the ones worthy of   
their titles."  
  
Was this woman scolding him? He couldn't believe his ears   
but he couldn't muster a defense either. He said weakly, "I'm   
here, aren't I?"  
  
Mrs. Saotome gave him an appraising look and replied, "'s   
why I'm willing to give you a chance. You will have to agree to   
become my student and treat me as you would any of your teachers   
at school."  
  
"I only came to learn the technique you-" Kuno began.  
  
"That is only one of many techniques I know and all of them   
are dangerous. I will teach you general skills but no special   
ones until I am sure you are responsible enough to handle them.   
There will be no quick fixes. Learning moves without also   
learning when best to use them gives you only a temporary   
advantage. Please take a night to think about this." With a   
swirl of her kimono she turned and walked into the house. The   
lesson was clearly over.  
  
Kuno's mouth still hung open. No one had ever been so   
forceful with him since his mother died. He shook his head.   
What gave the insufferable woman the right to judge him? He had   
practiced kendo since he was a child and he did not need anyone,   
especially Saotome's mother, to teach him the art of the sword   
or about honor. So why was he considering this?  
  
  
Nabiki watched the view zoom by and fought to calm her   
nerves. She didn't know why she called up the Tokyo Paranormal   
Agency to arrange a meeting with a vampire. The intelligent   
thing would have been to tell Ranma of this possible threat and   
let him handle it. Unfortunately, one Ranma was hospitalized   
and the other had problems of her own.   
  
Besides, Nabiki Tendo could handle herself when it came to   
business no matter how bizarre the client. Also, she had a   
stake in her purse, a silver cross around her neck, and a garlic   
pepper spray canister connected to a bracelet around her wrist.   
She was confident in her ability to talk her way out of danger   
but she wasn't stupid.  
  
The only problem so far was Ranma insisted on coming to   
Tokyo with her. She only knew Nabiki had a business meeting to   
attend but she still didn't want Nabiki to go alone. Nabiki   
thought that was rather sweet of Ranma but she couldn't let her   
meet Virgil. She didn't know why the vampire was so interested   
in the Saotome boy or girl but until she did she was going to   
keep them far away.   
  
The train would at the station in ten minutes and she still   
hadn't found a way to get rid of Ranma politely. It was odd she   
felt the need to be nice to the girl instead of making threats   
to make her go away. It wasn't like they had become sisters or   
anything. They had brought clothes together. That was it!  
  
And why had she done it? She never did give Ranma a   
satisfactory answer because she knew the girl would make   
something out. She brought clothes for Ranma as thanks for   
protecting her sister and to make up for some of her past   
misdeeds. It was a simple exchange of services but of course   
Ranma wouldn't see it that way. And the other things she'd done   
over the week wouldn't help her case.  
  
She had to cover up the incident at school before the   
government came sniffing around. Then she had to convince the   
principal to cover the hospital bills since he was the richest   
man in town, and no one would have been able to afford her   
services if they had to earn money to pay their doctors. It was   
all practical and very logical. Who was she kidding?  
  
This altruism nonsense was beginning to go to her head and   
worst of all she didn't want it to stop. She was enjoying these   
new challenges and she got such a good feeling from doing them.   
She shook her head ruefully. This was the initial rush of   
exploring a new arena. There was no way she would stop earning   
profit; she had bills to pay after all. Still, there were now   
interesting possibilities she'd never considered before.  
  
She glanced thoughtfully at the girl sitting on her right.   
Ranma had been correct when she said her methods of generating   
money were lazy and she could do better. She was far removed   
from that young, desperate girl who struggled to keep the   
household together. She could afford to update her operations   
and finally get rid of that damn Ice Queen image. It started   
out as a good intimidation tactic but it had gotten so out of   
hand even new students learned quickly to avoid her before she   
could even get to them. Maybe it was time for a change.  
  
Of course the ruthlessly logical side of her mind told her   
she was hedging her bets so she wouldn't end up in Hell now she   
knew for certain it existed. She spent many sleepless nights   
trying to deal with that before she decided she'd let God sort   
it out. After all, in the history of the world was there anyone   
who was truly selfless to the point they did any sort of   
generous act without at least a degree of selfishness? In the   
end what did it matter if she was secretly afraid or if she did   
want to change her life or if it was some combination of both?   
People were complex and contradictory. She'd known that half   
her life and she knew she wasn't any different.  
  
She turned to her companion and saw Ranma was staring   
longingly outside. Nabiki knew if she hadn't been firm in   
watching her, the redhead would have tried to race the train.   
She was currently squirming and trying to adjust her bra and   
Nabiki didn't have the heart to tell her there was no way to get   
those things comfortable. She'd been rather jumpy ever since   
visiting the hospital. Nabiki caught her eye and raised an   
eyebrow in a questioning manner. Not that there were many ways   
one could raise an eyebrow.  
  
Nabiki watched Ranma struggle to find the words to describe   
her concern and finally she sighed then asked, "Nabiki, do you   
think Akane would have been safer if I never came to Nerima?  
  
"Without a doubt," Nabiki replied instantly. "Facing a mob   
of girl-crazy boys is nothing compared to what you live through   
on a daily basis."  
  
Ranma began to look depressed.  
  
"But I'm glad you came," Nabiki added almost as an after-  
thought.  
  
"But you said-"  
  
"I said Akane would be safer. I never said she would be   
happier."  
  
"Is that important?" Ranma asked looking slightly confused.  
  
Nabiki laughed then replied, "Incredibly so. If it wasn't   
for that, I would have chased you out of town myself by now."   
She looked thoughtful. "I have never seen Akane so outgoing and   
passionate before you came here."  
  
Ranma looked skeptical. "That doesn't mean she's happy!   
We insult each other, people break into the house every other   
week, and she's been kidnapped how many times now?"  
  
"She never had many friends," Nabiki began slowly. "The   
other kids thought she was weird and it got worse when she tried   
to make them like her. You know how she gets when she tries too   
hard to do something."  
  
A shudder ran through Ranma's body as she imagined Akane   
trying to cook.  
  
"It got worse in high school. People stayed away from her   
because of Kuno and his antics. The only students who'd try to   
talk to her would be the same boys who'd try to beat her every   
morning. Akane had reached puberty and she was confused and she   
wanted people to understand her," Nabiki said in frustration.   
"I tried to help her but the only people who'd treat her like a   
normal girl were Sayuri and Yuka and that wasn't enough."  
  
Nabiki grabbed Ranma by the shoulders and resisted the urge   
to shake her like a rag doll. "Don't you understand? Why do   
you think I never tried to get rid of you even after all the   
times you and your friends demolished the house?"  
  
She realized what she was doing and sat back embarrassed.   
Ranma was staring at her and Nabiki decided if she was in this   
deep she might as well keep going. She was surprised to find   
she wanted to get this off her chest. She said softly, "My mom   
once told me was it was better to live a short but happy life   
than to live a long, miserable life."  
  
She rubbed her eyes pretending they were itchy. "She was   
the bravest person I ever knew. Even when the cancer was eating   
her alive, she told me she had lived a fulfilling life and she   
wouldn't trade the experiences of having me, Kasumi, and Akane   
for anything." She stopped and waited for Ranma's response.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"For what?" Nabiki asked nonplussed. Of all the responses   
she was expecting...  
  
Ranma grinned at her and replied, "For treating me like a   
friend. Most people I know would rather kill themselves rather   
than tell me something personal."  
  
Nabiki found her fingernails interesting. She said   
quietly, "You do understand despite what I said I would rather   
Akane live to be old and grey?" She was only half-joking.  
  
"That goes without saying," Ranma said rubbing her head.  
  
"Say it." It was not a request.  
  
Ranma sighed then said, "I would never let anything happen   
to your sister if I could help it."  
  
Nabiki grinned. Ranma squirmed some more before she said   
lightly, "After your meeting, is there anything else you want to   
do?"  
  
"I think I'll want to go home," Nabiki said. She suspected   
her meeting was going to be mentally and emotionally taxing and   
she didn't think she'd be up for any major activities after it.  
  
"We should go to the clinic and see if Tofu is still busy,"   
Ranma suggested.  
  
Nabiki thought it over and decided a short visit wouldn't   
hurt. She said, "'s a good idea. I know Kasumi did want to see   
him though she would never say so."  
  
"I don't know if we can change his mind. He seemed very   
depressed when you asked him about stopping by the dojo. Do you   
think he's giving up?" Ranma asked alarmed.  
  
"That's not like him. It must have gotten to him."  
  
"You mean I must have gotten to him," Ranma stated.  
  
Nabiki waved a hand dismissing the idea. "Don't flatter   
yourself. It was only a matter of time. If it wasn't you it   
would have been some other trigger. I've been trying to get   
those two together for a while now and I'm frustrated too!"  
  
"Who paid you?" Ranma asked.  
  
Nabiki glared at her half-heartedly. "This was my own   
project. Kasumi deserves some happiness of her own. Besides, I   
never succeeded so I couldn't charge anyone. I couldn't get   
past his block and after a few tries I gave up a few years ago."  
  
Ranma looked shocked. "You gave up? Why don't you try   
again? You're older now and aren't you much better at   
manipulations and schemes and stuff?"  
  
"Yes, but tell me how you can manipulate someone who's   
higher brain functions zonk out *while* you're trying to   
manipulate them?" Nabiki looked at Ranma thoughtfully. "Then   
again, implausible things tend to happen around you. Tell you   
what. If I come up with a new plan, I'm going to let you help   
me out with it."  
  
"That so kind of you, your highness," Ranma(C) said giving   
a mock bow.  
  
"Oh shut up. You want to help or not?"  
  
"Depends on what you're doing."  
  
"I'm going to help Kasumi and Doctor Tofu get together. I   
love Kasumi dearly and this pussy-footing around is getting old.   
Besides at this rate, you and Akane will have a litter of kids   
before they do. Either of you."  
  
Ranma's response was entirely predictable.  
  
Nabiki sighed. That was fun but now she'd have to drag her   
body around until she woke up. Wait a minute! She found her   
way to ditch Ranma. She scribbled a quick note and left it   
posted to Ranma's forehead then quickly exited the train.  
  
The address on the business card led her to a nondescript   
building that resembled every other building on the block. She   
wasn't too surprised but she was a little disappointed. Were   
you expecting Castle Dracula? She chided herself as she took an   
elevator to the twenty-fifth floor and knocked on the third door   
down the hall on the left.  
  
The door slowly swung open and beyond it Virgil sat leaning   
back in a chair with his feet flopped upon his desk. Nabiki   
looked at him then at the door and smirked. She said, "Cool   
trick. It must impress the clients."  
  
"To be honest, this trick tends to calm my clients if you   
can believe it. They seem to expect magical tricks so I do my   
best to accommodate them."  
  
Strangely, she could feel some tension drain from her body.   
This was like being in a bad B-movie and in another situation   
she would have relaxed but something about this guy still gave   
her the heebie jeebies. It was purely a primal response and she   
thought this must be how a gazelle felt when it saw a lion.   
  
"If you're done, I would like to know why I'm here," Nabiki   
said and congratulated herself on her even tone. She   
confidently looked Virgil in the eye and immediately had to   
lower her gaze again. Damn those stupid soulless eyes! How did   
Soul of Ice work again? She hated feeling like this. She bet   
Akane would do better if she was here. Of course she'd be too   
freaking angry to be frightened but that wasn't the point.   
  
If Virgil noticed her inner turmoil he gave no indication   
of it. He took his feet off his desk and said, "Please have a   
seat, Ms. Tendo." She did so and he continued, "Before we begin,   
I would like for you to do me one favor. You are no doubt aware   
of the many vampire myths as you have most likely researched on   
my kind before this meeting. I would like you to dispel all of   
them from your mind for the time being."  
  
"Because they're not true?" Nabiki asked.  
  
"Some of them are but how would you know which unless   
you've met a real vampire before? Many of my meetings go wrong   
because my clients can't get beyond their preconceptions."  
  
"Fair enough," Nabiki agreed but she was still wary.   
  
The vampire sighed and withdrew some shades from his pocket   
and put them on. "Is this better?"  
  
Nabiki was ashamed to admit it to herself but it was. She   
looked up and nodded for Virgil to continue.  
  
"I know you don't trust me and I don't expect you to but I   
want you to understand."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because we will be working together. I know much about   
you so it's only fair you know about me. In your line of work,   
knowledge is power is it not?"  
  
Nabiki nodded and Virgil continued, "My appearance   
frightens you. That is merely the effect the demon co-  
inhabiting my body generates. There are two ways to become a   
vampire. The first is to resist death with all your willpower.   
These individuals usually result from violent death."  
  
"You're telling me it's possible to resist death simply by   
refusing to die?" Nabiki asked skeptically.  
  
Virgil gave her a look that told her she asked a stupid   
question. He said slowly, "There is nothing *simple* about it   
but yes it is possible. Never underestimate what willpower can   
do. It allows humans to do unimaginable feats and can even   
allow some of them longer lives than mere flesh would warrant."  
  
Nabiki nodded thoughtfully thinking of a certain long-lived   
Amazon. She said, "I'm assuming this leads up the second way to   
become a vampire."  
  
Virgil gave her a toothy grin. "You are correct. I am   
many things but inhumanly stubborn is not one of them.   
Willpower only lasts so long and those few living and undead who   
can resist death's siren call eventually fade. My kind, on the   
other hand, does not."  
  
He leaned forward and clasped his hands. "My power stems   
from whom you call the Devil."   
  
Nabiki blanched and squeaked, "So you admit you are evil?"   
She wondered if she could make it to the door in time.  
  
Virgil said hastily, "I would not worry. Vampires can not   
turn the unwilling. It is a misconception we can."  
  
No, you can eat me instead, Nabiki thought morosely.  
  
"I accepted the deal because I had no desire to see Hell   
right away. The crimes I committed while I was alive would have   
seen to that. You see, only those who are already cruel and   
twisted deep down would think of becoming one of the undead. I   
knew I was only delaying the inevitable for Hell wouldn't reward   
me but only prolong my agony but I did not care."  
  
Nabiki's curiosity was intrigued. She asked, "Why are you   
telling me all this?"  
  
"As I said, we are going to be working together and keeping   
you ignorant would not help either of us in the long run. When   
one understands something it becomes less frightening."  
  
"I think I'll reserve judgment until the end of the   
presentation," Nabiki replied with a tight smile.  
  
"You asked me if I was evil. Depends on how you define it.   
In the strictest sense, I am but in my mind, I don't hold any   
affiliation with either good or evil. I am... indifferent. I   
do my assignments and am left free in the interim to do as I   
wish. Hell no doubt hopes I am killed between assignments so   
they can get to work on *redeeming* my soul. There is no place   
in the cosmos that hold a bigger pack of hypocrites."   
  
Standing up, Virgil walked over to the tinted window and   
glanced out. He said softly, "For the first century I did vile   
things at the spur of my demon and my own inclinations until I   
grew bored, so perhaps I wasn't as bad as I thought. The truly   
sadistic of my kind never tire of causing suffering but they   
were never too stable to begin with. More centuries rolled by   
and I tried doing good to see how that worked out. I had heard   
tales of vampires who managed to turn back to the Light."   
  
He turned to Nabiki and gave her a sardonic smile. "I   
discovered I was not one of them. My acts of kindness only   
served to increase my cynicism about how pointless life was and   
opened my eyes to the fact no matter how much good I did,   
greedy, squabbling humans would tear everything apart.  
  
"I don't go out of my way to hinder people but I don't jump   
through hoops to help them. In a way, I may have returned to   
being human. I don't care much. I have noticed a strange   
phenomenon among vampires. As we age, the lines between good   
and evil begin to blur. We eventually lose the inclination to   
do anything either way. We become more... logical. I rarely do   
anything without sufficient reason any more."  
  
For a moment there was no sound except for Nabiki's   
breathing. Since that was rather creepy she was about to break   
the silence when Virgil instantly appeared in front of her. Her   
eyes widened at the feral expression on the vampire's face.   
  
"I could slaughter you right now before you could even   
reach for your feeble precautions," he said deliberately before   
he disappeared and reappeared by the window and gave her an   
apologetic smile. "But what would be the point aside from a   
fleeting pleasure?"  
  
Nabiki forced her throbbing heart down her throat and tried   
to regain her cool, sarcastic demeanor. She said dryly, "If   
you're trying to earn my trust, I suggest you re-evaluate your   
methods." Okay, that wasn't too bad.  
  
But Virgil didn't seem to be listening any longer. He   
seemed almost melancholy as he said, "I am showing you I do what   
I do because it benefits me to do so. You have no reason to   
fear me until either is no longer true or until my obligations   
to my organization are met."  
  
So he worked for this mysterious agency because it was in   
his best interests to do so? What did an immortal need help   
for? He looked capable of getting his own food and money or   
fighting off any enemies he had. Then she understood. "So you   
do all this to keep from being bored?"   
  
Virgil glanced at her and seemed to wrestle with a decision   
for a moment. Finally he said, "I told you at our last meeting   
I was a vampire detective. That is not completely true. I do   
not solve the mundane mysteries of the million crimes you humans   
inflict upon each other nor do I care about the frivolous   
amusements other vampires enjoy to fight off the ennui. I am   
interested in more intellectual pursuits. I search for   
something more."  
  
"A religious vampire?" Nabiki asked. She would have asked   
more but she instantly saw this was not an open topic.  
  
"Yes," Virgil replied. "But as to why you are here. Do   
you feel well enough to continue?"  
  
To her great surprise, Nabiki found she was. Her innate   
inquisitiveness was surfacing over her fear and her mental   
facilities were working properly again. There was nothing she   
could do if Virgil did have hostile intentions toward her so she   
might as well go along and hope the vampire's bark was worse   
than his bite. Literally.  
  
"Please go on. I set aside all my other appointments for   
this and it'd *suck* if it ended now." Nabiki grinned at   
Virgil's pained expression and continued, "And you still haven't   
told me why you wanted to see the Ranmas."  
  
Virgil took back his seat behind the desk and said, "Before   
I tell you I must tell you about the Tokyo Paranormal Agency.   
The TPA is a small branch of a worldwide organization whose job   
is to take care of its magical and supernatural members from   
internal and external threats. It deals with the mini-wars that   
frequently occur between races and it tries to prevent the human   
population at large from discovering us.  
  
"At the moment we are dealing with a threat to all our   
people and yours as well. Unfortunately, we have no idea what   
it is and the only thing we know is Ranma Saotome is involved."  
  
"Doesn't surprise me somehow," Nabiki said lightly while   
trying to figure out what the Saotomes had gotten her family   
into this time.  
  
"The head of the organization personally told me to come to   
Nerima and protect Saotome from harm."  
  
"So what you're offering is a bodyguard service," Nabiki   
said. Things got clearer.   
  
"I'm afraid I'm not offering anything. I'm telling you   
that is what I am here to do and I will need your help." The   
last sentence was said almost with a grimace.  
  
"I take it this prospect doesn't exactly fill you with   
joy," Nabiki said. She was getting into a more familiar turf.   
Undead or not this man obviously didn't like sharing control of   
a shaky situation with an outsider and this made him like any   
other official she ever had to deal with.  
  
"You are correct. Normally, I would post a guard around   
someone discreetly and no one would be the wiser but from my   
information that wouldn't work in this case. Ranma seems to be   
extremely sensitive to being followed."  
  
"It probably comes from being ambushed all the time,"   
Nabiki offered.  
  
"Ah, a highly evolved sixth sense to danger then," Virgil   
said with a small nod. "But you have managed to get around it   
many times. That is why I must offer you a position as my, uh,   
security advisor."  
  
Nabiki was suspicious. "This sounds like a very good way   
to get Ranma into a trap. Now I wouldn't have a problem with it   
since Ranma can take care of himself, herself, whatever but   
there's no way you're going to do it with *my* help."  
  
"You may not have a choice," Virgil said sounding tired.   
"You know as well as I do there will be another attack and it   
most likely won't be as... flashy as the last one. It will come   
without warning and Ranma may not be the main target when it   
happens. Can you protect your family on your own, Nabiki?"  
  
He had hit on the heart of her worries. She knew whatever   
Ranma was in now wasn't going to stop with one demon attack.   
Virgil was right. The next attack would be subtle and she   
didn't have the resources to mount a 24 hour watch on everyone.   
And what if there was an attack on the dojo? Her morning report   
told her Ryouga, Ukyou, and Konastu had left town and there was   
no telling when they'd be back. Cologne and Happosai were still   
missing. Having only Mousse, Shampoo, and the Kunos as backup   
if the Ranmas went down was not a comforting thought.  
  
"No, I can not. I accept your offer despite my   
misgivings," Nabiki almost growled. "But understand this. If   
this future attack ends up coming from your organization I will   
send you to Hell myself." She glared at the man and in that   
moment she knew no fear.  
  
Virgil didn't comment on the absurdness of her promise.   
Instead, he said, "Then let us be off to the records room. You   
will no doubt wish to see our reports for yourself."  
  
He stood up and Nabiki did also. She turned toward the   
door and heard a whisper in her ear. "There is one more thing."   
She froze.  
  
"I have no intention of betraying you but if I did and you   
  
managed to kill me I must tell you in light of the current   
situation, I'd most likely end up in Limbo or possibly oblivion.   
It'll depend on what's left."  
  
Nabiki watched open-mouthed as Virgil swept by her into the   
hallway. Oh great, Nabiki thought, the classic cryptic remark.   
Is he *trying* to drive me insane?  
  
  
Akane woke up gasping. She flailed around wildly for a   
moment then took deep heaving breaths. It was only a nightmare.   
She looked around and saw she was in Tofu's clinic. She was   
disgusted to find her panic attack left her feeling drained. It   
would take her forever to get back in shape. She lied back and   
closed her eyes trying to relax. She felt herself fall...  
  
The first thing she remembered was the pain. She couldn't   
breathe. Her body felt crushed. Everything was hazy but she   
knew it was important to keep her eyes open. She was dying.   
Every so often there would be sensation of intense heat then   
overwhelming dizziness as her body was moved out of the way.   
  
For a second she saw Ranma staring at her, begging her to   
hold on then he faded again. She wanted to help him but she was   
so tired...  
  
Everything was so dark... so tired... hurt all over...   
can't move... Must keep eyes open... Important...  
  
Her field of vision was covered in yellow. It was like   
staring into the sun. Why wasn't Ranma moving?  
  
Must help Ranma... can't move... doesn't matter... can't do   
anything... DOESN'T MATTER!  
  
One blinding goal washed away all doubt and logic. She had   
no idea how but she managed to throw her dehydrated body in   
front of Ranma. Unimaginable pain poured into her...  
  
Her eyes sprang open. Akane raised a hand to her cheek   
trying to feel the scars she knew had to be there. But her face   
was flawless and showed no sign of the hell she had gone through   
and for the most part still couldn't remember. On the way back   
to Japan she had to ask Ryouga to tell her the details. He told   
her two times she had flung her shrunken doll body out to save   
Ranma from fireballs too big to avoid and somehow managed to   
absorb the brunt of Saffron's power.   
  
Doctor Tofu told her it was common in traumatic experiences   
for there to be memory loss but as time went by more memories   
should return. She wasn't sure she wanted to remember but at   
the same time she didn't want to belittle Ranma's greatest   
accomplishment by pretending it didn't happen. That had made   
for some awkward moments with Ranma the last few months.  
  
Ranma! Where was he? A certain fear gripped her heart   
until she saw Ranma in the bed next to her. Her face relaxed   
watching him sleep. He had saved her again. Don't make too much   
out of it. He saved the school is what he did. That's how   
he was. He'd save anyone who needed it. Even someone like her.  
  
Akane slowly got out of bed, ignoring her body's cries of   
pain, and stumbled over to Ranma's bed. She watched him breathe   
and she felt a little better. Then she frowned. Yes, Ranma   
saved her like he always did. Like with Saffron. She closed   
her eyes but couldn't banish the thought.  
  
Phoenix Mountain had broken the tattered remains of her   
denial and pride in her own abilities but she had slowly   
recovered her confidence. The demon attack on Furinkan High   
obliterated all that. She wanted badly to turn to someone for   
comfort but the one person she wanted it from the most   
intimidated her. She could never be sure how Ranma would react   
to a request of hers especially one like this. Ranma in any   
form sometimes gave indications of feeling for her but at other   
times was the cruelest person on earth. That was her fault too.  
  
She hated not knowing where she stood. She knew Ranma   
liked her but would that last? It was infatuation on his part,   
right? He couldn't possibly feel the same way she did. Wasn't   
it too impossible to believe? Part of her was jealous about how   
easily the other girls could show their affections for Ranma.   
She never even kissed him and she had more chances than anyone!  
  
She always got jealous when he spent time with the other   
fiancees. It wasn't because she thought he was fooling around   
with them. Ranma wasn't that type of guy. It was ... he seemed   
to prefer to spend time with any of them rather than her. And   
why shouldn't he? They were nice to him, gave him edible food,   
and made him laugh. She wished she could do that.  
  
Akane looked forlornly at Ranma. Ukyou and Shampoo got to   
kiss him. Granted Shampoo's Kisses of Death and Marriage and   
Ukyou's CPR hardly counted as real kisses but it was more than   
she was ever brave enough to try. Was it too much to ask   
someone gave a damn about her? Her family loved her but when   
had any of them talked to her except to shove her into Ranma?  
  
She found herself leaning forward. This wouldn't be as   
good with Ranma unconscious but at least she'd have a memory to   
hold onto in her old age. She paused an inch away from Ranma's   
mouth. What was she doing? What the hell was in her IV?!   
Ranma has such blue eyes doesn't he? Huh?!  
  
"Hi, Akane," Ranma said with his eyes wide open. "How ya   
doing?"  
  
Akane stared at him in disbelief. "You wake up for the   
first time in a week with me hovering right above you and you   
want to know how I'm doing?"  
  
"Yeah. You were hurt. Are you okay now?"   
  
There was no guile in those eyes. Not only was he   
concerned he didn't seem to realize what she had been doing.   
For some reason this display of naviete made Ranma more   
attractive. She quickly averted her eyes and said, "I'm fine I   
think. Unless I'm so doped up I can't tell." She giggled   
without meaning to. "How are you?"  
  
A flash of pain went through his eyes and he looked older   
than his years. "I'm okay."  
  
"I'm sorry. Did I say something wrong?" Akane asked   
clasping her hands to her mouth. She didn't like the look in   
Ranma's eyes and she didn't like she'd put it there.  
  
Ranma eyed her uncertainly. "Are you okay, Akane?"  
  
"What? I wanted to know if you were feeling okay. But you   
don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Akane said quickly.   
She realized Ranma would probably feel more comfortable   
confiding in Ukyou or someone else. It's not like he ever tells   
me anything unless he has to.  
  
Ranma looked confused but his eyes now held mischief rather   
than sorrow. "I kinda like you like this. Remind me to ask   
Tofu for a prescription of whatever he's giving you."  
  
Akane grabbed Ranma by the shoulders and shook him like a   
rag doll. "All right, wise guy. Tell me what's wrong or I   
throw you out the window, hospital bed and all!"  
  
Ranma stared blankly at her then started laughing. It   
wasn't a mild chuckle either but a full-blown belly laugh.   
Tears spilled down his face. His face was filled with   
realization and wonder.  
  
Akane was so astonished she forgot her anger. She asked,   
"What's so funny?"  
  
"I don't know! You. My life. Everything!" Ranma said   
gasping for breath. "Man, my father's an idiot!"  
  
"And you just figured this out?" Akane asked smiling too.  
  
Ranma replied, "My whole life Pops told me girls were weak   
and made bad fighters. And here I'm engaged to four of the   
craziest, most dangerous women in Nerima. No offense, Akane.   
I've fought girls in everything from Martial Arts Cheerleading   
to Martial Arts Ice Skating! It's so freaking obvious!"  
  
He became grim again. He said slowly, "The blindest people   
are those who refuse to see." He raised his eyes toward the   
ceiling and asked, "You know Ryouga's favorite saying?"  
  
Akane frowned. "You mean *Ranma prepare to die!*"  
  
Ranma grinned slightly. "No, I mean the one about the   
world being a dark and lonely place. Do you think it's true?"   
  
Akane watched him turn his head toward the window as if he   
was searching for something. She tried to find something to   
say. This had something to do with what happened to him and he   
wouldn't want platitudes. An ironic thought struck her. Ranma   
was depressed and he was asking *her* for help! This was rich.  
  
She carefully chose her words then said, "I suppose it   
depends on how you look at it. Yeah, the world sucks. It's   
unfair, difficult, and horrible."  
  
"I hope this is going somewhere," Ranma said dryly.  
  
She glared at him then continued, "But you can do something   
about it! You can make it a little better. Even if you don't   
accomplish anything isn't it better than feeling sorry for   
yourself? What's going to change?" To her great surprise, she   
found she believed that. Hopefully, Ranma would too.  
  
Ranma was looking at her now. He said, "Everything's   
happening too fast."  
  
"They've never been slow to begin with," Akane pointed out.  
  
His eyes peered at her and Akane could almost feel them   
boring into her. Finally, Ranma said, "Akane, I promise to tell   
you what's bothering me but not now. I need time to think."  
  
Akane nodded and turned to go back to her bed but found   
herself stuck. She glanced down and saw Ranma had grabbed her   
hand. She looked at him in askance.  
  
"I wouldn't mind some company while I'm thinking," Ranma   
said. His tone was confident but there was a question in it.  
  
Akane squeezed his hand and replied, "I'd be happy to. I   
wouldn't want to miss your brain explode."  
  
Ranma snorted. "So you do think I have one?"  
  
She didn't reply but watched as Ranma closed his eyes.   
Akane smiled feeling happier than she had all week. Ranma was   
awake and he wanted her around. That was enough for her. Her   
worries could wait.  
  
  
Ranma(C) felt herself being shaken gently. She batted   
weakly at the annoyance then gave into consciousness. One of   
the train conductors was staring at her. He asked, "Are you all   
right, miss? You've slept through the last eleven stops."  
  
"What?" Ranma(C) exclaimed. "Why did you wait eleven stops   
to wake me?"  
  
The conductor shrugged and replied, "Your friend told me   
you had relatives here."  
  
Nabiki was going to get a piece of her mind when she got   
back. Ranma(C) asked, "When's the next train to Tokyo?"  
  
"In five minutes."  
  
"Okay, thanks." She expected him to leave but he stood   
there. "Anything else?"  
  
He said slowly, "There's a sticky note on your forehead. I   
think you should know."  
  
Ranma(C) felt her head and pulled off a yellow piece of   
paper. "So there is."  
  
Have a nice nap, Ranma? Sorry for not waking you but I   
didn't have time. I should be in my meeting for a few hours so   
you should go enjoy yourself. Get some ice cream or something   
then wait for me in front of the hospital. I should be there   
around 4 but if you're worried call Hiroshi. He should be able   
to track my GPS receiver. See you soon!  
  
P.S. If you let this go I'll take 10% off your debt.  
  
This was unbelievable, outrageous, and so... like Nabiki.   
Ranma(C) shook her head ruefully. Getting angry at her would be   
like being mad at a flood. Both would roll right over you while   
you were still composing your complaint. She stood up to leave   
the train and saw the conductor was still in her way.  
  
"I know this is forward of me and you're busy and all but   
could we go out for coffee sometime?" he asked nervously.  
  
She restrained her initial reaction to throw him into the   
next car. He didn't look like a pervert and it seemed mean to   
crush him. Also, she wanted to check something. She looked the   
guy over quickly. He was handsome but she was relieved to find   
she had no physical attraction to him whatsoever. Whew!  
  
"Sorry I have a girlfriend," Ranma(C) said. It took a   
moment for her brain to catch up with what she said. To his   
credit, the conductor merely looked disappointed and apologized   
for disturbing her. She quickly excused herself and barely   
caught the next train to Tokyo.  
  
Once seated on the new train she took the time to think   
about an uncomfortable subject. Would she eventually find   
herself attracted to men? Tofu himself didn't know if sexual   
orientation was genetic or a matter of free will. She preferred   
to believe it was a mental state. Tofu said even if that was   
true Ranma had only started to like girls at the start of   
puberty so it was possible her mental state could change.  
  
Privately Ranma(C) disagreed with the good doctor. Maybe   
it would be different if she was born an actual girl (though she   
figured she would have been driven to lesbianism by the likes of   
her father, Kuno, and Happosai!) but as far as she could tell   
almost all the males she knew were either psychotic and   
perverted or else utterly boring.  
  
Besides, she liked girls for more than because they   
beautiful, soft, and proportionate in all the right places. She   
liked how they laughed, the confidence and unpredictability they   
had, and how they were much more forgiving! Yeah, many of the   
girls could hold a grudge especially Akane but at least they   
were mostly about different things. Ryouga was still attacking   
him over the pig curse! She'd apologized how many times now?  
  
A thump from the roof attracted her attention. What could   
it be? Then she heard it. The spine-chilling laugh could only   
come from one person she knew.   
  
"My life is one freaking coincidence after another!"   
Ranma(C) grumbled. If she stayed in her seat maybe nothing   
would happen. Yeah, like her life was ever that easy. She soon   
found a door leading to the outside and then climbed onto the   
roof of the train.  
  
Kodachi seemed to be having the time of her life. She did   
back-flips, handstands, and other acrobatic acts heedless of the   
fact she was centimeters away from death. This took some skill   
but Ranma(C) was interested in why the gymnast was there at all.  
  
"Hey, ya crazy chick! What are you doing up here?"  
  
Kodachi looked surprised to see her but managed to retain   
her balance. She replied, "Just having some fun. Want to join   
me or would you prefer to go back to your seat?"  
  
The girl was laughing. Hanging around with an adrenaline   
junkie was not her idea of a good time; but, neither was turning   
down an obvious challenge. Standing up was trickier than she   
thought but she managed to get the hang of it as Kodachi threw   
ten pins at her.  
  
Ranma(C) dodged all of them without falling off the train.   
Always a good thing. She should have known this was a trick.   
She stood ready for more but Kodachi seemed to be in a playful   
mood as she lazily swung her razor-sharp ribbon around.  
  
"You were my most worthy adversary you know. You were the   
only girl ever to defeat me in Rhythmic Gymnastics," Kodachi   
said matter-of-factly. Strangely, she didn't seem bitter.  
  
"Despite your cheating!" Ranma(C) yelled back.  
  
Kodachi rolled her eyes before she replied, "Fighting is   
not supposed to be fair. If one can not win despite the odds   
then they don't deserve to win, do they?"  
  
There was some logic there but Ranma(C) was undeterred.   
"That's fine in real life but not in a *game*!"  
  
Kodachi shrugged and Ranma(C) realized this wasn't an   
argument she was likely to win. She changed tracks and asked,   
"Does Kuno know you come up here?"  
  
"He should know. I leave my plans for the week on the   
itinerary where anyone can see. And it's not always train   
jumping. Sometimes I go bungee or go wrestle with Mr. Turtle."   
She sounded miffed and a little sad.  
  
He *should* know but does he? Does Kuno ever say anything   
about this? Ranma(C) didn't fancy herself a psychiatrist but   
even she could tell this was a cry for attention. Maybe Kodachi   
did like the danger but it seemed she wanted someone to notice   
or care about what she was doing.  
  
Kodachi seemed to realize what Ranma(C) was thinking and   
said in an irritated voice, "It is a shame my brother and I   
don't speak more but no doubt it is because he wastes most of   
his time chasing trollops like you."  
  
As opposed to your pursuit of male Ranma? Ranma(C) bit   
back her reply and instead smiled so sweetly her teeth hurt.   
"Name-calling? A bit low for an aristocrat isn't it? And here   
I thought you had manners."  
  
Kodachi smiled back just as falsely. "You're impertinent   
aren't you? But I'm in a good mood and a fight would ruin it.   
So why don't we shake hands and go our separate ways?"  
  
She stuck out her right hand and looked sincere. The hand   
was empty so Ranma(C) warily stuck out hers but before either   
could grasp a hand the redhead dropped and swept Kodachi's legs   
out from under her. The gymnast automatically threw out her   
left hand to catch her fall and in doing so fell onto the gas   
pellet hidden there.  
  
Ranma(C) watched dispassionately as purplish gas enveloped   
the other girl and when it blew away she knelt down by the   
paralyzed girl and said dryly, "Your dedication to reforming   
leaves me in awe."  
  
Kodachi glared at her. "I wouldn't have hurt you."  
  
"Don't try to wriggle your way out of this!" Ranma(C)   
paused. "Oh, I forgot. You can't."  
  
"It would be more merciful if you threw off this train   
rather than force me to listen to your attempts at humor."  
  
"You wouldn't have to listen if you'd stop playing around   
with your poisons and your gases!" Ranma(C) was going to   
continue her rant when an idea popped into her head. A strange   
expression came over her face before she asked, "Kodachi, how   
would you like to get on Ranma's good side?"  
  
"And how would I do that?" Kodachi asked, eyeing her   
suspiciously.  
  
"By helping out her personal physician." Ranma(C) quickly   
explained her idea and Kodachi became intrigued but she thought   
the idea too simple and inelegant and wanted to change it.   
Ranma(C) argued it was results that mattered and making a plan   
too complex never accomplished anything.  
  
Neither of them knew when it happened but the topic   
gradually changed back to Kodachi's 'hobbies'. Ranma(C) thought   
it was stupid to risk one's life for a momentary thrill.   
Kodachi asked how it was different from fighting one's enemy for   
the thrill of the challenge which her brother's 'pig-tailed   
girl' was so disposed to doing. Ranma(C) said that was   
different and she wasn't Kuno's anything.  
  
By the time the train made it back to Tokyo, the paralysis   
powder had worn off but they continued to talk. Both of them   
would deny it but they both felt it was nice to have a real   
conversation. Even if it was with a person severely disliked.   
  
As the train rumbled through the station, Ranma(C) jumped   
off to go find Nabiki and Kodachi swung off for the Kuno mansion   
to get some supplies. They agreed to meet at Tofu's clinic.  
  
A taxi ride later, Ranma(C) was in the hospital lobby   
ranting at a bemused Nabiki. "I can't believe what you did!   
Where were you? What if something happened to you? Akane would   
cook me alive! Not to mention what your father would do-"  
  
"Calm down, Ranma," Nabiki replied smiling. "I'm a big   
girl. I don't need to be protected by strong, brave martial   
artists. And I can't tell you where I was because that was part   
of the agreement I made with my client."  
  
Ranma(C) gave up her questioning. There was no arguing   
with Nabiki when it came to her business ethics. Ruthless and   
uncompromising she might be she took her promises seriously.   
But she still felt exasperated and she made her feelings known.   
"Why do you do these things to me? I swear you get a kick out   
of driving me crazy. And don't tell me it was for the money.   
I'm not buying it this time."  
  
Nabiki looked down and mumbled something Ranma(C) couldn't   
pick up even with her extraordinary hearing. "What?"  
  
"I *said*," Nabiki replied louder. "I think it's funny."  
  
Ranma(C) stared at her in disbelief. "You've made my life   
hell because you think it's funny?"  
  
"Come on! My life was dullsville before you came along.   
You're better than any anime! Besides, after all the damages   
you cause around the dojo I thought it was only fair."  
  
"You could have gotten me killed!" Ranma(C) said.  
  
Nabiki waved her hand. "No one would or even could hurt   
you. Beat you into the ground definitely but not more than   
that. I know it and you know it."  
  
Ranma(C) did know as she had many months to learn a great   
deal about her rivals and fiancees. Fighting revealed much   
about a person and what they were like. Ranma(C) would sooner   
trust a person she fought than someone who was being nice to her   
for unknown reasons.  
  
She was tired, though, of Nabiki acting like she knew   
everything so she asked, "And how can you be so sure?"  
  
Nabiki gave Ranma(C) her patented look that made her feel   
dumb. "Besides the fact nothing goes on without my knowledge?   
I had psychological testing discreetly done on the lot of you at   
one point or another. Knowledge is power and I decided I better   
get as much I could. Most of your *friends* are obsessive-  
compulsives with a tendency for self-delusion but they're   
basically harmless. To normal people, anyway."  
  
"Imagine my relief," Ranma(C) deadpanned. Then she   
grinned. It was time to turn the tables. "Nabiki, remember   
when we talked about getting Kasumi together with Tofu?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I know how to do it." Ranma(C) raised her in hands in   
response to Nabiki's barrage of questions. "No way. It's a   
surprise. We have to stop by the dojo first but then we're   
going to the clinic. By the way, I asked Kodachi to help out."   
And she refused to say another word.  
  
The mood became more somber the nearer they got to the   
clinic. Tofu had said Ranma and Akane would be fine but there   
was an element of doubt that wouldn't go away until they saw   
their recovery for themselves. They passed a sleeping Tofu   
slumped over his computer and went into the room.   
  
The sight that greeted them dispelled their fears and   
replaced them with slack-jawed wonder. It was bizarre,   
unbelievable, and for anyone else it would have been downright   
normal. That's how strange it was.  
  
Akane was draped over Ranma like a rug and both were   
sleeping with funny expressions on their faces. Ranma(C) felt   
happy the two were better but she felt incredibly confused too.   
She glanced over at Nabiki who looked as if she couldn't decide   
whether to laugh or cry. She settled on a smirk.  
  
"Oh God, what a time to change my evil ways," Nabiki said   
mock-sadly. "I really want to wake them up right now-"  
  
"But we should probably let them sleep," Ranma(C) finished.  
  
The two girls went out to the lobby and made a few phone   
calls. Nabiki left a message for her father who was at a City   
Council emergency meeting that was called to deal with the   
aftermath of the last crisis.  
  
Nabiki hung up and turned to Ranma(C). "I hope you know   
what you're doing, Ranma. I've never felt comfortable with   
Kodachi and coming from me that means a lot."  
  
"It's nice to feel wanted," a voice behind them said dryly.  
  
"Kodachi!"  
  
She stared at them impatiently. "Are we going to cause   
mayhem or not?"  
  
"Could someone tell me what's going on first?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Stop fooling around, Ranma. It's your plan..." Nabiki   
trailed off as she realized that was a *male* voice. "Ranma!"  
  
He stared guilelessly at the group. "What? You didn't see   
me? I'm hurt."  
  
"Ranma! Stop being mean," Akane said stepping out from   
behind him. Nabiki immediately bowled her over with a hug.  
  
"Anyone else going to come out of the woodwork?" Ranma(C)   
asked disgruntled. She wanted to hug Akane herself but not in   
front of all these people. "If not, can we please get started?"   
  
Forty minutes later...  
  
"Would you mind telling me what I am doing here?" Kodachi   
asked grumpily. She was holding onto the support struts on the   
ceiling above the floor and was understandably feeling annoyed.   
She was also miffed the other girls had taken a united front to   
keep her away from Ranma in his injured condition.  
  
Nabiki said, "Don't look at me. Ran- um, the pig-tailed   
girl told me to get you up here."  
  
"What do you mean *get*? Kodachi Kuno is not one to be   
easily summoned by the likes of you..."  
  
"Yeah, whatever. Remember, we're here to do some   
matchmaking."  
  
Thunder rumbled in the background.  
  
"My brother's showing off again somewhere," Kodachi said   
then sighed.  
  
"Ssh!" Ranma(C) hissed. "Tofu's coming. Places, everyone.   
Operation True Romance is ready to begin!"  
  
"Why do I feel like our parents?" Ranma asked Akane.  
  
Tofu walked into the room and smiled. "Ranma! Akane!   
It's good to see-"  
  
Kodachi simultaneously wrapped Tofu in a ribbon with one   
hand and dropped a gas pellet with the other. By the time he   
reacted to escape he had breathed in the gas and was paralyzed.  
  
Ranma and Akane sat up in their beds and watched as   
Ranma(C) and Nabiki came out of the closet. Ranma(C) looked a   
little sheepish as she asked, "Doctor Tofu, are you okay?"  
  
Tofu looked at her with a confused look. "Aside from the   
obvious, I'm fine. What's going on?"  
  
"Uh," Ranma(C) put a hand behind her head, "we want to help   
solve your K-A-S-U-M-I problem."  
  
The doctor looked at her as if she had sprouted another   
head. He asked, "And you couldn't ask me?"  
  
"Without you going berserk on us?"  
  
There was a long silence then Tofu said grudgingly, "You   
have a point. Do what you have to but I want you to know,   
medically speaking, this is an appalling breach of ethics."  
  
"Says the man who made my legs give out for fun," Ranma(C)   
replied with a smirk. "But your reprimand is duly noted.   
Kodachi, give me a hand. Nabiki, get the slide projector."  
  
Tofu's body was dragged over to a chair and settled into   
it. Kodachi began sticking wires and electrodes to the good   
doctor's body. Tofu said, "I have a bad feeling about this."  
  
After Nabiki turned on the projector and a screen of light   
appeared on the wall, Ranma(C) stepped in front of the screen   
and said pleasantly, "Don't worry. We're going to try a little   
shock therapy. Make you face your fears. I've read all about   
it. You'll be perfectly safe."  
  
"You'll excuse me if I don't think you reading about a   
potentially dangerous procedure in a psych text make you in any   
way qualified to perform it," Tofu said.  
  
"I've had it done to me a couple times. Does that count?"   
Kodachi asked.  
  
Tofu rolled his eyes. "That's it. I've changed my mind.   
Get me out of this-"  
  
Nabiki pushed a button and a picture of Kasumi in a   
swimsuit appeared.  
  
"..." Tofu said before his eyes glazed over.  
  
Kodachi took a penlight and shined it into Tofu's eyes.   
Then she carefully took his pulse. She said, "His blood   
pressure's rising, his muscles are hard as a rock, and he's   
almost catatonic. I suggest we administer a five second burst."  
  
Nabiki nodded and pushed another button. Tofu's body shook   
for a moment before his eyes cleared. He said a little   
sluggishly, "This isn't going to work. Deep psychological   
problems can not be so easily-"  
  
"Next picture!" Ranma(C) ordered.  
  
A photo of Kasumi taking a bubble bath popped up.  
  
A trickle of blood came out of Tofu's nose. Kodachi took   
another assessment and said, "I believe he's fainted."  
  
"A little too much, don't you think?" Akane asked Nabiki.  
  
Nabiki threw up her hands. "Hello? Have you forgotten   
what kind of photographer I am? These were the best I had."  
  
"And you couldn't use our photo albums because?"  
  
"Those pictures were horrible! They were stilted, the   
lighting was horrible, and they were dull! My professional   
integrity wouldn't allow me to use them."  
  
"Nabiki, this is therapy, not an exhibition!"  
  
Nabiki pointed at Tofu and said, "Does it look like he   
minds?"  
  
Akane opened her mouth to respond when there was a knock at   
the door. Everyone froze.  
  
"Doctor Tofu, may I come in?"  
  
"It's Kasumi!" Ranma(C) hissed. "Hide!"  
  
Ranma and Akane dived back into bed while the Kodachi and   
Nabiki crammed into the closet. Ranma(C) paused to deliver   
another shock to Doctor Tofu then jumped into the closet as the   
door opened. Kasumi poked in head in and peer around. "Doctor   
Tofu, are you okay?"   
  
She stepped into the room and noticed the doctor sitting in   
a chair with wires sticking to him... and a large color photo of   
her in the tub on the wall.  
  
Kasumi blushed. "Oh my. Doctor Tofu! If I'm interrupting   
something, I'd be happy to come back later."  
  
Tofu blinked his eyes slowly at her then his eyes popped   
wide open. He managed to stutter, "Hi, Kasumi!"  
  
"Hello doctor. How are Ranma and Akane?"  
  
"They're fi-fine. Ho-how are you?"  
  
"I feel wonderful. A hot bath does wonders for me, but I   
guess you already knew that," Kasumi said a little wickedly.  
  
"I, I can explain," Tofu stammered.  
  
"It's all right. I don't mind," Kasumi said smiling. Then   
she leaned in and said, "But if you wanted to see me so badly,   
all you had to do was ask."  
  
There was a loud crash coming from the closet. Kasumi   
turned toward it but Tofu quickly regained her attention by   
saying, "Did you get my last email about the effects   
immunotherapy can have on cancer cells?"  
  
"Yes, I did. And I enjoyed it. I know I shouldn't get my   
hopes up but I think I'll get to see a cure for cancer   
discovered in my lifetime."  
  
Amazingly the good doctor calmed down as they proceeded to   
talk about medical matters. Finally, perhaps because he thought   
he was dreaming, Tofu asked, "Would you like to go get a cup of   
coffee sometime?"  
  
A rapid mixture of surprise and pleasure came over Kasumi's   
normally serene face but there was a hint of caution. "Are you   
sure you're ready? What about-"  
  
"I'll never know if I don't try," Tofu said gently.  
  
"Oh, I don't know what to say. I would love to." She   
paused. "Dr. Tofu? Ono?"   
  
"Oh dear. I don't believe it. He fainted? I should have   
seen this coming but he was making such good progress," Kasumi   
said out loud. "I should probably leave a note so he won't   
think I'm rude. Friday sounds like a nice day. I wonder if I   
could borrow one of Nabiki's dresses. The black one should be   
tight enough."  
  
Kasumi left still talking to herself. Three teenagers fell   
out of the closet and two patients fell out of bed. A few   
minutes went by as everyone sought to compose themselves.  
  
"Okay," Ranma(C) said. "Things didn't go exactly as   
expected but whatever works, I guess."  
  
Ranma was still shaking his head in shock. "That was   
Kasumi? Who would have thought?"  
  
Nabiki was grinning widely. "I finally get to cash in on   
the Kasumi-Tofu betting pool!"  
  
"Nabiki!"  
  
"I guess we should clean up then," Ranma(C) said.  
  
"Wait, there's something I always wanted to do," Ranma   
said. He went over to the unconscious Tofu and yelled at the   
top of his lungs, "KASUMI, KASUMI, KASUMI!"  
  
An arm raised and the body began to stir.  
  
"This is impossible!" Kodachi murmured taking a step back.  
  
The body began to shake. "Kasumi," the thing drooled.  
  
"He's awake! Run for your lives!"  
  
"Ranma, this is all your fault!" Surprisingly this came   
from Nabiki.  
  
After a few mile run where they crashed through a hair   
salon, a bookstore, and an ice cream shop they lost the maniac   
doctor and came to a panting stop. Ranma and Akane fell over   
but otherwise seemed okay.  
  
"That was... thrilling," Kodachi said. "Do you think Dr.   
Tofu needs an assistant?"  
  
"Uh, since Pops and Shampoo stopped working there, yeah.   
But chiropractors don't deal in pharmaceuticals remember?"  
  
"True," Kodachi said thoughtfully. "But the chiropractic   
profession does seem more exciting than I thought."  
  
"I hate to break it to you but most chiropractors don't and   
*can't* destroy a city block with their bare hands."  
  
"Oh?" Kodachi seemed disappointed.  
  
Groaning reached them and they looked over at Ranma. "I   
fought a monster from Hell and now I'm running from the man   
who's supposed to heal me. Can't I ever get a break?"  
  
"*You're* in pain?" Akane griped. "You're more used to   
this than I am. I'm aching all over."  
  
"Whiner. Take your lumps like the rest of us."  
  
"Tofu didn't almost catch you!"  
  
Ranma grinned. "You know what they say. You don't have to   
be faster than the monster, just the person behind you."  
  
"Are you calling me slow?" Akane tried to get up but   
collapsed. "Alright, I'm letting you live this time."  
  
She stuck a tongue out at him which he returned. Then he   
brightened. "I hear ice cream helps accelerate healing."  
  
Akane raised an eyebrow of disbelief. "Where exactly did   
you hear this?"  
  
"Somewhere. You want some or not?"  
  
"I thought you didn't like ice cream as a boy." Akane   
never could resist a parting shot.  
  
Ranma immediately poured a bucket of water over his head.   
"There. Problem solved."  
  
"Uh, Ranma?" Akane began.  
  
"What is it now? Never mind, you can tell me on the way."  
  
Ranma grabbed Akane's hand and dragged her off as she said   
again, "Uh, Ranma?"  
  
Even for someone who constantly forgot whether or not he   
was a girl this was a bit much.  
  
"What happened?" Kodachi asked.  
  
Ranma(C) didn't respond. Conflicting emotions were running   
through her and she didn't know how to deal with them.  
  
Nabiki said, "Thanks Kodachi. For your help, I'm taking   
twenty percent off your debt."  
  
"What debt? I never borrowed money from you."  
  
Nabiki shrugged. "When Kuno-baby used up his allowance   
last March, he said to put what he owed on your account."  
  
"WHAT?!!!"  
  
  
Ryouga took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air. He   
sat by his fire preparing the rabbit he caught for lunch.   
Everything seemed perfect for once. The weather was fair, he   
was human, and he was about to get food in his stomach, but   
something felt wrong. He frowned, having the odd feeling he was   
forgetting something important.  
  
"Ryouga Hibiki! Prepare to die!"   
  
A pajama-clad girl jumped out of the bushes wielding her   
outsized cooking instrument of doom. Ryouga immediately weaved   
his way between each spatula strike and said cheerfully, "Ukyou!   
Where have you been? And why are you still wearing your pj's?"  
  
Ukyou screamed incoherently and in a burst of speed pounded   
Ryouga into the ground. Ryouga slowly stood up, wobbled around   
a bit, and then fell down. Bakusai Tenketsu be damned! Nothing   
could withstand the wrath of a beautiful, angry girl.  
  
The young chef glared at her victim and said, "You jackass!   
It took me forever to find you because you kept disappearing on   
me! Did you not notice the screaming girl chasing after you?"   
Ukyou hit him a few more times. "And what am I supposed to do   
now? I'm going to freeze to death!"  
  
"I would not be worried, Miss Ukyou. I took the precaution   
of packing for you once I heard of your traveling plans."  
  
Ryouga and Ukyou looked at the ninja in surprise for two   
reasons. One, they never sensed him coming and two, in his blue   
jeans and flannel blouse he looked like one of the prettiest   
woods girls ever seen. Ukyou shook her head in wonder. She had   
no problems with Konastu's cross-dressing but the fact he did it   
so well he often looked better than her disturbed her greatly!   
Then her mind processed the ninja's words.  
  
"You were listening on our conversation?" She was about to   
scold him then realized a girl who read other people's journals   
could hardly throw stones. "Never mind. Thanks for bringing my   
pack. You might as well come along. I'm going to need some   
help keeping track of this idiot." She threw another glare at   
Ryouga for good measure.  
  
A short sparring session followed which consisted of a   
bemused Ryouga dodging for his life while Ukyou worked out her   
rage. Then after a brief relaxation and lunch break, they   
reoriented themselves in the right direction (completely   
opposite of the way Ryouga was going of course) and trekked on.  
  
An hour into their journey, Ukyou spoke up. She said,   
"Hey, guys. I know this may not mean much but I'm sorry about   
how I've treated you the last week. I was in a bad mood but   
that's no excuse."  
  
"Feh!" Ryouga waved off her apology. "You call that a bad   
mood? You didn't even break anything."  
  
Ukyou smiled at him then replied, "Unlike some people, I   
don't see feeling bad as an excuse for senseless violence."  
  
"The lumps on my head say otherwise."  
  
Ukyou didn't even bother giving that a reply. She turned   
to Konastu. "How about you?"  
  
The ninja took the question seriously and thought about it.   
Then he replied, "I must agree with Ryouga. You couldn't scare   
my grandmother."  
  
Ukyou began to feel upset. She was trying to apologize and   
they were making jokes! Then she thought about it and felt   
silly. Did she want them to be angry at her? But she knew what   
she had to say. "You may not mind but that doesn't give me the   
right to take my temper out on you guys. Please forgive me."  
  
Both Ryouga and Konastu repeated there was nothing to   
forgive and they continued traveling. Konastu explained his   
life history to a curious Ryouga. Ukyou and Ryouga shared   
stories of life on the road and before they knew it night had   
fallen upon them.  
  
Ryouga started a fire and Konastu took out supplies to make   
dinner. When Ukyou tried to help, they shooed her away and told   
her to relax.  
  
"This is like, against the natural order of things!" Ukyou   
protested jokingly before allowing the boys to herd her away to   
the tents. Truth be told, she was glad she wouldn't have to   
worry about cooking for once. She enjoyed it but every so often   
one had to take a break from the things they loved.   
  
The walk had been good for her. She didn't feel so trapped   
out here. Her problems seemed remote and less real. There was   
no reason for that though. Her problems were still here, but   
she hadn't thought about them for hours.  
  
It must be the company, she thought looking back at the   
fire where Ryouga was vehemently telling Konastu there was to be   
no pork in their meals. What right did she have to feel sorry   
for herself? Ryouga turned into a pig when he got wet and he   
couldn't find the bathroom three-fourths of the time. Konastu   
had been abused and exploited by his family for years before he   
was rescued from that life.   
  
They surely had their bad days, Ryouga especially, but they   
didn't give up. They turned their depression into productive   
energy and that's what she should be doing. They weren't much   
different from her after all.  
  
She held that thought for a moment then burst out laughing.   
The tension drained out of her as she laughed for what seemed   
like the first time in ages. Her companions demanded to know   
what was so funny but she couldn't answer them. She struggled   
to explain but gave up when another burst hit her.   
  
She was glad when Ryouga and Konastu finally left her to   
her hysterics and went back to the fire. How could she explain   
she thought they were the sorriest bunch of misfits she'd ever   
seen? They might take offense and she didn't have the energy to   
explain it to them.  
  
Finally, Ukyou wiped her eyes and collapsed on the grass.   
She felt free and happy. She didn't have to act here and was   
free to be her outrageous, nonconformist self. So what if this   
wasn't normal? What did that mean? Why did she worry so much   
about it? In the land of the weird the king would probably be a   
drag queen. It was too bad on the scale of weird she was barely   
odder than most. She fell asleep with that amusing thought.  
  
When the trio arrived into town a day later they got many   
strange stares which made them uncomfortable. The two cooks   
hadn't been out of Nerima for an extremely long time and Ryouga   
rarely stayed in civilized areas like cities so it wasn't   
surprising they felt out of place. Osaka was so... mundane.   
Ukyou had long forgotten how ordinary most people were. She   
found herself missing Nerima and had to giggle at the feeling.  
  
As Ryouga predicted tracking down the Hibikis was simple.   
No one could miss a couple who wandered around like tourists,   
couldn't follow directions, and inadvertently destroyed things.   
The last anyone heard they were trying to leave town.   
  
Ryouga got excited. "We have a chance then. No Hibiki can   
ever find what they looking for right away. They'll be here for   
hours! Unless they accidentally switched dimensions but that   
rarely ever happens." Ukyou and Konastu stared at Ryouga then at   
each other and shrugged.  
  
The Hibikis were found wandering around the lobby of the   
local Holiday Inn. One of the managers was downing shots of   
liquor and weeping. Various guests were taking bets on whether   
this strange couple would ever make it out the front door.   
  
Ukyou thought this rather rude and said so. A woman   
shrugged and said, "What else can we do? We must have pointed   
out the door a dozen times already and when we offer to lead   
them to it they start arguing. The lady wants to accept the   
offer. Her husband insists they don't need help and they'll   
find the door eventually."  
  
Ryouga got his hardheadedness from his father's side   
apparently.  
  
The woman who had to be Mrs. Hibiki raised her voice. "Why   
do you have to be stubborn? Men! They can never accept help."  
  
"Hey, unlike most men I have no problem asking for   
directions. It's not my fault if they never make any sense."  
  
"That's not what I mean and you know it. We must have   
passed the kid in the bandana five times by now. He looks   
familiar somehow. It's Ryouga!"  
  
With a speed and strength that surprised everyone who'd   
never visited Nerima she enclosed her son in a bear hug. Ukyou   
had to admit it was humorous to see such a little woman lift   
someone almost a head taller than her. She looked like a   
typical Japanese woman but her obvious no-nonsense attitude made   
her anything but so. Her husband though looked like a heartier   
and more lumberjack-like version of Ryouga.  
  
Mrs. Hibiki relaxed her grip and looked at her son's face   
before she crushed him again. She cried, "I missed you!"  
  
With those simple words Ryouga's face seemed to shed years.  
  
Mr. Hibiki rubbed his beard furiously then gruffly said,   
"Namiko! Stop embarrassing the boy!"  
  
A bit chagrined, Mrs. Hibiki stepped back and in that   
moment Mr. Hibiki stepped in, lifted the boy, and twirled him   
around like a shot-put. "Welcome home, son! Uh, in a manner of   
speaking. Your mother and I want to hear all about your   
adventures. Ryouga, you seem to be turning a bit red there.   
You got a fever?"  
  
"No, can't breathe," Ryouga gasped but Mr. Hibiki's   
attention had been drawn to the two women talking to his wife.   
Dropping his son to the floor (who, incidentally, gratefully   
began sucking in air) he walked over and cried, "Namiko!   
Introduce me to these lovely ladies. They're no doubt my son's   
girlfriends." He smiled at them indicating he was joking.  
  
Ukyou and Konastu both flushed while Ryouga turned a little   
green. He jumped to his feet and said quickly, "These are my   
*friends* Ukyou Kuonji and Konastu Kenzhin. They helped me   
track you and mom down."  
  
"Thank you very much," Mrs. Hibiki said. "Without your   
help Lord knows when we'd have seen each other again."  
  
"This calls for a celebration," Mr. Hibiki said. He turned   
to the drunken manager and said, "Please point us to the cafe!"   
The man's sobbing increased and Ukyou quickly volunteered to   
lead the group in.  
  
Over lunch, Ryouga explained why they were there. There   
was silence for a moment before Mr. Hibiki wiped off his mouth   
with a napkin then left the table. Mrs. Hibiki looked after him   
sadly and said, "It's a sensitive subject for him. He still   
blames himself for what happened."  
  
She shook her head then turned to her son. "Your friend   
Cologne was correct about the family curse. Your father didn't   
want to tell you about it but since you know..."  
  
"Why didn't dad want me to know?" Ryouga asked upset. Mrs.   
Hibiki shushed him gently and told him to be patient.  
  
"I almost didn't meet your father. I was twenty-two when I   
saw some strange guy wandering around my front yard. I almost   
called the police but the man looked so lost. His name was   
Ryushi. He said he was looking for a train station and I told   
him it was two blocks east. He came back about three times and   
I finally became convinced he was one of the guys from school   
who had a crush on me and was too shy to say so. I mean, who   
could possibly get lost finding a station the size of my street?   
  
"It took me three hours to lead him to the stop! By then I   
either had to believe him about his lack of direction sense or   
admit he was the best actor I'd ever seen. I asked him where he   
was going and he gave me a sad smile and told me it didn't   
matter because he'd never get there anyway. He got on the train   
and rode away. I figured I'd never see him again and though I   
knew him for only a few hours that made me very sad."  
  
She stopped to take a sip of tea. Ukyou asked eagerly,   
"Did you drop everything and decide to go find him?"  
  
"I didn't have to. He showed up the next day." The three   
teenagers fell over in their seats. "He needed help finding the   
station again and this time I went on the train with him. He   
told me about his problems which made the woes of a struggling   
humanities student insignificant. I don't remember everything   
but there is one thing I recall clearly. It's what made me   
decide I wanted this man in my life. You see, he liked trains.  
  
"For the few hours before he was kicked off he could   
pretend he was going somewhere. He couldn't go to school, he   
couldn't hold a job, and he couldn't find the few friends he   
had. All he had were the few hours after he scrounged up enough   
for a ticket when he could feel normal. It meant so much to him   
to go up to a counter, ask for a ticket to say Tokyo, and know   
he'd end up there. He had no reason to go to Tokyo or Osaka or   
any place but he relished the knowledge that for a time he would   
know exactly where he was.   
  
"He came back to my home often and I'd go to the cities   
with him. I've been to those places before but it was more   
exciting when I looked at the world the way he did. After each   
trip I made him promise to come back again. I was always afraid   
I'd never see him again but time after time he found me. Maybe   
months would go by and it'd be the middle of the night when he   
finally came but he did and that was what mattered.  
  
"One day Ryushi showed up and he seemed very solemn.   
Something was wrong but he wouldn't tell me what. He took me to   
a nice restaurant and told me knowing me was the best experience   
of his life and he was developing feelings for me. Those words   
should have brought joy to my heart but the way he said it told   
me bad news was coming. I was right.   
  
"He told me he appreciated everything I'd done and he   
wanted me to remember him fondly but he couldn't see me anymore.  
  
"I was hurt but not too surprised. We've danced around   
this issue before. Ryushi didn't want to take me away from my   
life. I told him I was a woman living in a run-down apartment   
with no close living relatives who would probably never make it   
farther in life than she was now. A normal, comfortable life   
would merely suffocate me."   
  
Mrs. Hibiki glanced around the table as if pleading with   
them to understand her anguish. "With him we could travel   
places and maybe see the world. I was willing to share his life   
whatever came. He got angry and told me it would never work. I   
yelled at him I was pregnant and it was to be a surprise but he   
ruined it. He stared at me with a horrified expression then ran   
out.  
  
"I suppose my life would have been much different if I left   
it at that but I was not willing to let the man I loved run out   
of my world. I found him trapped in an alley and he slumped   
against a wall when he saw me. His voice was broken and full of   
pain. I remember his exact words.  
  
'I promised myself the Hibiki curse would end with me. I   
promised I would never subject a child to this. How did this   
happen? We were so careful...'  
  
"He had explained the curse to me many times. Some   
ancestor back in ancient times angered a sorcerer and the curse   
of being constantly lost was to pass through the Hibiki line   
forever. It only affected offspring and was usually what ruined   
marriages. How many mothers could take losing their child and   
not blame the father? It would be one thing if the wives or   
husbands of the Hibikis were cursed since they could make their   
own decision to willingly accept it but the sorcerer was too   
shrewd. He wanted the Hibikis to suffer and most of them did.   
There were an extremely high number of suicides among their clan   
throughout the centuries and eventually they dwindled down   
almost to nothing.  
  
"I never believed the story. I thought it was a way to   
explain the unexplainable. It was a fairy tale to make sense of   
an unfair universe. If I was him I'd probably want the comfort   
of such a lie to give my life some meaning. I never believed   
the story but seeing him there so depressed and afraid I began   
to doubt. What if what he said was true?  
  
" 'Is there a way of getting rid of the curse? I asked. I   
was not humoring him. I would never do that. Even then I was   
beginning to believe.  
  
"He hesitated then pulled a map out of his bag. 'This is a   
magical map. It's a family heirloom that's been passed down for   
generations. It shows where the sorcerer's lair is. Don't ask   
me how he's apparently still alive.'  
  
"He gave me a sad look and said, 'No Hibiki has ever been   
able to find him.' The curse would make following a map of any   
kind nigh to impossible. But why couldn't someone else lead   
them there? I took the map with the intention of doing that but   
I couldn't read it either! The lines kept blurring and refused   
to stay in a coherent shape. Apparently only a Hibiki could   
read it and even then they couldn't understand it well enough to   
tell anyone else what it said.  
  
" 'Well that's unfair!' I said. 'This is cruel. What's   
the point?'  
  
"The point was to dangle the carrot and give agonizing hope   
to those could not grab it. There was the hope a Hibiki could   
defeat the man and end the curse once and for all. After all,   
what was there to lose? Best scenario would be the sorcerer   
would dump him somewhere and forget about him since the chances   
of his finally finding the sorcerer again were improbable.  
  
" 'Why the map then?' I asked. 'It sounds to me a Hibiki   
could only find this lair by blind luck!'  
  
"He gave me an uncomfortable stare and said slowly, 'There   
is one way.' "  
  
Mrs. Hibiki lapsed into silence.  
  
"What's the way?" Ryouga asked when nothing seemed to be   
forthcoming.  
  
"I better tell this part and I'll make it short," Mr.   
Hibiki said as he came up to the table. He seemed very old   
right then. "I transferred the curse to your mother. God help   
me. It can be done you know but only once in a Hibiki's life,   
only by the current owner of the map, and even then only for a   
week. A week of freedom in which he or she can do what their   
heart desires."  
  
He looked down at the table. "Those were the best days of   
my life. I knew I wanted my child to feel this way. I decided   
to find the sorcerer. Namiko tried to stop me at first but then   
she let me go. She knew how important this was to me. I did   
this not only for my unborn child but to avenge the countless   
generations of Hibikis who had known nothing but suffering.  
  
"I followed the map perfectly and I made it past the   
challenges." There was a note of pride in his voice. "No Hibiki   
has ever made it that far. I was to face the sorcerer. I was   
confident I could defeat him. And if I couldn't I could only   
hope Namiko would not mourn my passing too badly. Thus, I went   
into battle."  
  
There was a hush over the table. Mr. Hibiki glanced over   
them and said in a voice almost too low to be heard, "I lost.   
In more ways than one.  
  
"At first I did not know the full horror of the sorcerer's   
revenge upon me. It took me two years to find Namiko again from   
where I awoken. I considered it two years of Hell but when I   
saw her again I realized I did not even know the meaning of the   
word. Namiko, my beloved Namiko, had been made to share my   
curse. Worse, when I found her raising our child alone she only   
wanted to comfort me! Ryouga, can you ever forgive me?"  
  
Watching the mountain of a man break down into heaving sobs   
was a painful sight. Mrs. Hibiki was crying too as she grasped   
her husband's hand and said, "Don't you dare do this! Don't you   
dare blame yourself. I have as much to do with this as you do.   
It's as much my fault-"  
  
"NO!" Ryouga shouted. His eyes were glistening. "No.   
Mom, dad, I could never be angry at you. You both wanted a   
life. How can I condemn you for that?" Soon, the three was   
enclosed in a great group hug and bawling their eyes out.  
  
As Ukyou watched she couldn't help but feel jealous at the   
closeness of this family then she felt ashamed about her   
thoughts. How often did this family get together after all?   
She had never seen Ryouga look so happy. He needed this.  
  
Ryouga asked, "Could you give me a moment to talk to my   
friends?" He smiled as his parents over to the salad bar but his   
smile faded when he looked back at his friends. He sighed then   
said, "I guess that's it then. Let's go home." He paused then   
laughed bitterly. "Or let's go to your home I should say."  
  
"But what about your curse?" Ukyou asked alarmed. Ryouga   
couldn't be serious.  
  
He glared at her. "Maybe you weren't listening but I'd   
have to give the curse to someone who'd take it. Who the hell   
would do that?"  
  
"Maybe Akari-" Ukyou floundered.  
  
"No! There is no way I will take a chance like that." He   
looked pensive. "I guess I'll have to break up with her after   
all. I knew it was too good to be true a beautiful, smart girl   
would want a freak like me." His voice drifted off. "I just   
wanted... but when did it ever matter what I wanted?"  
  
Ukyou had never seen Ryouga like this. She seen him   
depressed plenty of times but it had been a dignified almost   
noble depression. But the expression he had now looked like his   
last dream had been crushed. Any hope for even a semblance of a   
normal life had been destroyed. She couldn't bear to look at   
him. Ryouga had always seemed larger than life, an unstoppable   
mountain but now...  
  
"I'd do it." There was silence and she wasn't sure if she   
said anything. She could barely hear anything over the pounding   
of her heart.  
  
Ryouga slowly raised his head. "You'd do what?"  
  
Her mouth was dry and she had to force herself to breathe.   
She said hoarsely, "I said I would do it. I'd take the curse."  
  
Ukyou leaned back and closed her eyes. Ryouga had lost   
eighteen years of his life through no fault of his own. In many   
ways, his problems eclipsed her own. She'd be damned if she   
allowed this travesty to continue.  
  
  
Fin 10/13/02 


	9. Calm Before the Storm

This series take place after the events depicted in volume 38 of the Ranma manga but also draws ideas from the anime. Or was it the other way around? I keep contradicting myself on this issue for some reason!  
  
The characters of the Ranma 1/2 universe are the creation of the talented Rumiko Takahashi and are owned by her and Shogagukan, Kitty and Viz Communications.  
  
I am using them for *sob* NON-PROFIT! So please don't punish this poor excuse for a writer. :)  
  
The characters that are not a part of Ranma 1/2 canon were created or adapted by the twisted mind of Vincent Nguyen.  
  
***********************************************  
  
THE SPLITTING: A RANMA 1/2 FANFICTION  
  
CHAPTER IX: CALM BEFORE THE STORM  
  
By Vincent Nguyen  
  
***********************************************  
  
-Chapter 9-  
  
On the edge of infinity right next to the void of nothingness laid a noncorporeal plane of existence, which existed within all ten levels of the dimensional framework of reality and was rooted in every time period simultaneously though at the moment it was located near the end of eternity. It would be inaccurate to say that this plane had consciousness but there was a primitive awareness underlying this supposedly impossible structure. The immense computer Yrydragil detected an incoming portal signal carrying a goddess and a living mortal. It immediately executed a program that manipulated time and space to form a breathable atmosphere and a place to stand.  
  
Cologne opened her eyes and struggled to adjust to the sensation of having a body again. The trip coming here had seemed timeless and instantaneous and she knew if she tried too hard to reconcile the concepts she's only give herself a headache. The memory of where she'd been was already fading from her mind but she knew the wonder she felt would never leave.  
  
Cindy watched her dispassionately and said, "Don't fight it and don't think about it. Your mind has no basis in which to comprehend what you saw. Focus on your surroundings and remind yourself to breathe."  
  
The Amazon elder took another moment to reorient herself then looked around. The view was breathtaking. The air was crisp and filled with energy, the sky was a natural hue of blue that she hadn't seen in over a century, and the grass looked as if it was made to be laid upon. Superficially, the place looked like nothing more than one of the many pastures located near her village but it was more *real.* Cologne knew she was no philosopher or poet and that she would never be able to describe this anyone fully any more than the man who had discovered an entire world outside his cave could explain it to his companions who knew only shadows. But she didn't care because for the first time in a very long time she felt alive again and free of pain. Cologne swept her staff around in an arc and said softly, "So this is Heaven, huh?"  
  
Cindy gave an incredulous snort. "You're talking about this dump? It's only a processing station to get souls where they're supposed to be. Trust me, you haven't seen anything remotely close to the true afterlife."  
  
"So what is it really like?" Cologne asked. She knew she wasn't here to be a tourist but she had to know. She could hardly imagine a place more perfect than this.  
  
Cindy's smile faded and for a second she looked sad. She answered, "I really don't know. It's one of the disadvantages of being immortal. We'll never get to see what comes after until the very end of course. Oh, we all get nice places to live like Valhalla or Mount Olympus but we know deep down that they'll never match the real thing."  
  
Immortal. That was a word Cologne had long contemplated. Everyone knew the obvious drawbacks to living forever but who didn't want to live longer than their meager three score and ten years? Even she, one of the oldest Amazons of her village, wanted more time but she always knew she would never give up the chance to meet her maker. She looked upon Cindy in a new way. For decades she had looked upon gods as spoiled children who could barely control their own impulses much less their vast powers. There were many records in every culture of gods who toyed with humans and brought them to ruin. The village elders often wondered what made these beings act so horribly at times when they were supposed to do good. Perhaps this was an inkling of the answer.  
  
"So you can never die? You must always be on the outside looking in?" Cologne inquired.  
  
"It sounds so grim when you put it that way," Cindy replied. "We can allow ourselves to die if we wish but few have chosen that path. We were created to be caretakers of this particular region of the galaxy and it seems awfully selfish to abandon that responsibility. Someone must maintain the system and keep it in balance."  
  
This too matched up with the legends she was familiar with but again there was something that always bothered her. She said, "Forgive me but I have always been puzzled by one thing. I know that glitches in reality pop up periodically. There must be a reason for them because it seems absurd that a Being that can craft a universe would create our world so. shoddily. No disrespect intended."  
  
"Interesting that you bring up reality glitches," Cindy began when a harried looking man ran up to them. Cindy suddenly looked concerned. "Gabriel, what's wrong?"  
  
"It'd take less time to tell you what's not," he snapped before he forcibly relaxed. "Forgive me, Khu lon, Cindifer. I must also apologize for the poor welcome but we are severely understaffed. Limbo has been placed on the automatic emergency program but I don't know how long that will hold. Souls are already beginning to back up." He made a gesture and a globe of the earth appeared in the air. The familiar blue and green was riddled with red spots.  
  
"Reality is breaking down. See these patches? Shoddy makeshift bandages but it's the best we can do at the moment. The universe has been thrown out of balance. If this rate of slippage continues, we won't be able to hide the effects for much longer."  
  
Cindy and Gabriel started a heated argument about the appropriate steps to take. Cologne listened patiently for a few moments then pounded her staff against the ground. The two immortals looked at her. She said, "This is all very fascinating but if I understand you correctly existence could wink out at any second. I would at least like to know the thing responsible for my demise."  
  
The archangel and the goddess glanced at each other. Finally, Gabriel replied, "It may surprise you but so would we."  
  
~*~  
  
"Listen you jackass. Take the damn offer and be happy already!"  
  
"Oh yeah. Condemning you to a hellish existence will really make my day," Ryouga grumbled. "Will you give up this idiotic idea?"  
  
"It's not idiotic-" Ukyou began then slumped in her seat. They had been at this for hours and neither of them were closer to convincing the other they were right. She wanted, no, *needed* to do this but how could she ever get Ryouga to accept that? Surprisingly salvation came in the form of a little kunochi.  
  
"Master Ryouga," Konastu began. "I gather the impression that you are afraid that Mistress Ukyou would be trapped with the curse if you were to transfer it and that is why you wish to have her drop the matter?"  
  
"Damn straight I do," Ryouga replied.  
  
"But that danger would only come about if you were to seek the sorcerer. After all, the curse has been transferred many times before."  
  
Ryouga protested, "And how we know that the bastard hasn't booby-trapped the thing to go off at random or every hundred transfers or something?"  
  
Konastu turned to the senior Hibiki. "Master Hibiki, to your knowledge would the sorcerer do as Ryouga fears?"  
  
The older man hesitated a moment then replied, "I don't believe so. The preserved records of the first cursed Hibiki say that the sorcerer could sometimes be cruel but he was never unfair. That was also my impression when I met him but you must understand that I wasn't really there to talk."  
  
Turning back to Ryouga, Konastu said, "Let us assume of sake of argument that the possibility you raise is so remote that it does not bear consideration." Ryouga reluctantly nodded. Konastu turned back to Ryouga's father. "Sir, how long did it take you to find the sorcerer's lair?"  
  
"About two days from Tokyo by foot."  
  
"What if a Hibiki happened to be on the other side of Japan when he invoked the transfer? There would be no way for him to reach his destination even with a week's duration."  
  
"That's not quite true," Mister Hibiki said slowly. "No one knows how it's done but it has always taken only two days for a Hibiki to find the cave where the sorcerer is supposed to live. My grandfather theorized that the curse must have been tweaked in order to give everyone a fair chance of facing him. Of course since I've been the only one to actually see his face in generations shows how different our definitions of 'fair' are."  
  
Konastu smiled. "Different or not, this is a definite sign of fairness. He did not have to help any Hibiki find him or he could easily have made his location outside of Japan altogether. I believe we have established that transferring the curse should be safe and that you have plenty of time to think about your options, so why not take the four or five days of freedom that you are entitled to have?"  
  
Ryouga looked at him as if he was dim-witted. "Because that still brings back the main point. If I challenge this guy and I lose, Ukyou may suffer for it. I want to get rid of this curse but I'm not giving it to her."  
  
Konastu sneered and the effect it had on his effeminate, usually pleasant face was startling. He leaned forward until his nose was barely an inch away from Ryouga's and said, "So who would you give it to? Some stranger, some poor fool who had no idea what he was getting into?"  
  
"Of course not!" Ryouga yelled, shock written over his face.  
  
"Someone you know then? Will you trick Ranma into it? It'd be the perfect way of getting rid of a hated foe, wouldn't it?"  
  
"Stop it!"  
  
"Then who? Face it, Ryouga, the only people you can honorably give your curse are those who understand the consequences and are still willing to do it." He glanced pointedly at Ukyou.  
  
Anguish then anger then finally resignation appeared on his face. He glanced at his parents then at his own two hands. He said hollowly, "You win. I only hope you don't come to regret that." Quietly, almost ghost- like, he left the table and exited the room. A bellhop quickly followed him.  
  
Ukyou stared after him with a lump in her throat. It wasn't supposed to be like this. She knew what she was doing. Ryouga shouldn't waste energy feeling guilty like this. She was trying to make everyone happy. It'd figured that like with all her other plans Ryouga would mess this one up. She noticed Konastu hovering nearby and she turned to him. She said warmly, "I appreciate what you did for me but I am a little surprised. I thought you would be on Ryouga's side."  
  
He looked at her with a blank expression and replied, "Normally I would be. Your plan is impulsive, risky, and dangerous. But I saw how much it meant to you."  
  
Ukyou blinked. "That doesn't quite make sense. If you were so concerned about my safety-"  
  
"Even so, there was still no logical reason for Ryouga to turn down your request." Konastu sounded like he was being tortured. "Please do not ask me to say more. I could not take it." He practically fled the room.  
  
Ukyou stared after him puzzled. She was about to go after him when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Mister Hibiki. He stared down at her with an unreadable expression and said, "I think we best get prepared."  
  
She was startled. "So soon?"  
  
"Having second thoughts then?"  
  
"No, of course not. It's just. I was surprised, that's all."  
  
He looked knowingly at her then said, "One of the bellboys are taking me and my wife to the main conference room. Be there in half an hour if you're still willing."  
  
Then Ukyou was alone staring into her bowl of soup. She had come full circle.  
  
~*~  
  
She slowly walked down the hall looking very carefully around her. She had to admit she had no idea what she was getting into. She simply could not imagine how someone could not just know where they were. She understood feeling lost but to feel that way every second even after someone told you where you were? That made no sense to her but yet that was apparently what Ryouga lived with every day. She saw Mrs. Hibiki standing outside the conference room.  
  
Ukyou appreciated the concern but she was getting annoyed. She said, "Let me guess, you want to make sure I really want to do this. It's only for a week! You people act like I'm dying."  
  
"Do not make light of this. You have seen what the curse has done to my son."  
  
"You mean make him feel lonely and depressed? Make him feel like the universe's very own whipping boy?" Her voice broke. "I feel like that every day of my life. I don't need a curse to make me feel like crap. So maybe it'll be worse than usual. I've lived through other things. And it's not like I'm going to turn suicidal. Even Ryouga rarely gets severely depressed."  
  
Mrs. Hibiki had an expression of sympathy but her tone was still certain when she replied, "It will be different for you. I speak from experience. The curse has always affected me worse than my husband."  
  
"I find that hard to believe," Ukyou said remembering Mister Hibiki's anguish.  
  
"A person can not really miss what they never had. Oh, they may wish to be like other people and think their lives would be easier if they just had that missing quality but they can not truly mourn for lacking it. Do not mistake me. My Ryu has suffered much in his life and I will not belittle that but that does not change the fact that a man blind from birth will never grieve for the loss of sight as much as the man who lost it through no fault of his own."  
  
The passion in the woman's voice struck Ukyou hard but she refused to be swayed. "I understand things were tough for you when you were a single mother with a baby not knowing if your husband was alive or dead. But can't you see that my situation will be completely different? I mean, you'll be around if I flip out or something."  
  
Mrs. Hibiki stared at her for a long moment then her face softened into a sad smile. "If you are sure then I won't stop you. I know I must sound horrible trying to convince you not to help my son but I have never held with making anyone happy at the expense of someone else if there was any other option available."  
  
On an impulse, Ukyou reached out and hugged the older woman hard. She said, "I don't think you're horrible at all. I think you're a kind person trying to look out for me. I can't tell you what that means. Thank you."  
  
Ukyou released the stunned woman and stepped into the room. The door closed behind her leaving her in complete darkness. She immediately fumbled for a light switch but a hand grabbed hers.  
  
"It's all right. Come with me." It was Ryouga. He led her to a table and after they sat down he placed her hand on a wrinkled piece of paper, which had to be the map she thought. A deep, rumbling sound reached her ears. With a start, she realized it was Mister Hibiki softly chanting. She had to strain to hear his words and even then she had no idea what he was saying. It went on for what seemed like an extremely long time and there was such a rhythmic quality to it she had to catch herself from falling asleep a few times. It would be awfully embarrassing to zonk out in the middle of a spell but it was so hard to sit still when nothing appeared to be happening. If it wasn't for the constant sensation of Ryouga's hand she'd have thought she was alone.  
  
More time went by and she was beginning to drift off again when her eyes were hit by searing, pure white light. She was about to yell at the person who turned on the lights when her head exploded. At least it felt like it did. Then there was this sucking sensation as if something was being torn out of her. She suddenly had the overwhelming urge to run and get away from what was happening to her. She lost her grip on Ryouga as she stood up and blindly tried to stumble away, but she didn't know where the door was and she could barely breathe much less think. She felt herself fall.  
  
~*~  
  
Ukyou opened her eyes and was surprised to find herself lying on a bed. She tried to sit up but someone gently pushed her down. It was Konastu. He asked, "How do you feel?"  
  
In an instant, Ukyou remembered what happened to her and she was afraid of what she might feel. She braced herself then tried to feel her inner self. She didn't feel any dumber.  
  
The moment she thought that she was ashamed but it would have been foolhardy if she hadn't considered that possibility. It was so easy to make the connection between Ryouga's obtuseness and his direction problems but that didn't seem to be the case here. In fact, she felt completely normal. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with her. She didn't know whether to feel relieved or not. She remembered hearing cases about people with brain damage who had no idea that anything was the matter with them and that could be the case here.  
  
She opened her eyes again and sat up intending to ask about how Ryouga was when a feeling of vertigo passed through her as her mind tried to process an unfamiliar sensation. Where was she? She shook her head as if the picture would suddenly make sense. How could she not know? This was obviously a bedroom but she couldn't tell what kind. This could be her bedroom for all she knew. But her bedroom didn't have a connecting bathroom did it?  
  
Panic was beginning to rise within her. She was completely unsure of what should have been a commonplace certainty. Calm down, she thought. She must be in a hotel room because a hotel was where she was last at. But none of her senses could confirm her theory. She saw a Bible on the desk, fresh towels hung near the bathroom sink, and a view of the swimming pool outside her window, but these images refused to coalesce into certainty. Logic told her this had to be a hotel bedroom but it didn't *feel* like it. She took hold of herself. This was what she expected, right? This was disconcerting but she should look upon it as a unique experience. Still, it had been less than five minutes and she'd already gained more sympathy for Ryouga than she had ever felt in the entire time she knew him.  
  
"How long was I out?" she asked trying to sound nonchalant. Konastu looked at her worriedly as he replied, "Only a few hours. Mister and Mrs. Hibiki are with Ryouga right now. He wanted to see the town." He paused. "I wish you could have seen him, miss Ukyou. It was a most encouraging sight."  
  
"I'll see him when he gets back," Ukyou said dismissively. "Right now I have to wash my face." She headed toward the bathroom and ended up at the window. Undeterred, she turned around, looked directly at the bathroom, walked toward it, and ended up facing a wall. Extremely frustrated by now, she tried to go anywhere *but* the bathroom, but apparently the curse was not easily fooled.  
  
"What's going on? Even Ryouga can get to a place within his line of sight!" Ukyou complained with a tinge of panic in her voice. Konastu stared at her sadly. "Mrs. Hibiki told me this might happen. Ryouga grew up with the curse and found ways to compensate. You've had it for barely ten minutes."  
  
"What's that got to do-" Ukyou trailed off. She remembered the analogy about the man who lost his sight. Of course he would bump into walls until he figured out how to get around. She just hadn't thought the so-called direction sense would be so important to a person who paid close attention to her surroundings. She hadn't expected that paying attention wouldn't help her in the slightest. The only thing she could compare this to was the time she tried on a pair of beer goggles at the all-boys' school she attended. Walking a straight line was impossible even though the line *looked* straight.  
  
"It's just going to take me time to get used to it then," Ukyou said to reassure herself. "But what about Ryouga? How's he doing? He just gained a sense. Shouldn't it just be as confusing for him?"  
  
"That is what I thought but apparently, Ryouga hasn't so much gained a sense as have an existing one unsuppressed. It's weak from being under- utilized and Ryouga will still have to try harder than most people to get around but he won't be completely helpless."  
  
Like me, Ukyou thought. She allowed Konastu to lead her to the bathroom and nodded numbly when he said he'd be waiting outside if she needed anything. She couldn't understand it. She thought the curse would merely be an inconvenience, a tangible effect that would keep her from getting somewhere. She hadn't expected the feelings of emptiness and uncertainty. She had been so *sure* she was heading toward the bathroom. She had expected that she'd be nudged in the wrong direction or that her mind would blank momentarily and she'd end up somewhere else but the entire time it was just her mind leading her feet. She didn't know why such a subtle difference scared her so much but it did. If she couldn't depend on her own mind what other things she had taken for granted might be changed without her knowing?  
  
Even now, sitting in the bathroom with her knees pressed up again her, she still couldn't say with absolute certainty that was where she was. Her mind told her she had to be in a bathroom and she believed it but she terribly missed that feeling of absolute certainty.  
  
~*~  
  
"It's hard to explain," Ukyou said to Konastu as they walked down the street. "Have you ever walked around your house with your eyes closed when you were little? You always have that temptation to open your eyes for just one second to check where you are. Maybe you're sure you're in your parents' bedroom. The smell of fresh sheets and your own memory tells you that you probably are, but you still feel that hesitation that won't quite go away until you *look.*" She looked at Konastu who appeared to be paying exceptionally close attention to her. "I bet you never imagined that you'd have to be my seeing-eye dog one day."  
  
Konastu smiled slightly then asked, "So it is not just your sense of direction that is gone but your sense of location as well?"  
  
Ukyou shrugged. "I have to admit that it makes for a better curse. If I had simply lost the ability to tell left from right I could still get around. As it is, I literally can't read a map or understand directions even when they're given to me in plain Japanese or tell you where we are with any real certainty. We are still in Japan right?" She smiled to show she was joking but a large part of her felt it was a valid question. Konastu must have picked up on her uneasiness because he uncharacteristically gave her a brief squeeze on the shoulder.  
  
They soon came upon the park. Konastu pointed out the Hibikis and asked if Ukyou would like to see them. Ukyou replied, "Not yet. I just want to watch a little first."  
  
The park was certainly busy that day. There were kids everywhere running, hanging off monkey bars, and just having the times of their lives; and, the biggest kid and loudest kid of all was Ryouga Hibiki. Where other teenagers would feel too embarrassed to play games like hide-and-seek or tag in public, Ryouga played with reckless abandonment and his trademark determination. He seemed to be filled with limitless energy as he moved in and out of one group of kids to another with ease and confidence.  
  
The sight of Ryouga living the childhood he never had warmed Ukyou's heart and caused it to ache a little too. She spotted Mr. and Mrs. Hibiki sitting on a bench near the playground watching their son with expressions of pride. She tugged at Konastu's sleeve and asked him if he could lead her over to them.  
  
"That's something, isn't it?" Ukyou said as she came upon them smiling. She found herself whirling through the air when Mr. Hibiki picked her up and swung her around, roaring with laughter.  
  
"It's more than something, child. It's a bleeding miracle!" He set her down and said in a choked voice, "You should have seen him yesterday. He ran us ragged taking us to see every tourist attraction in town. He spent more than three hours finding people who looked lost and helping them find their way. I don't think he's ever had so much fun in his life."  
  
He made a motion to pick her up again and Ukyou exclaimed, laughing, "No, stop! I'm going to throw up!" She wiped her eyes and glanced toward Mrs. Hibiki who was looking back at her. The older woman nodded at her and said simply, "Thank you for making my son happy."  
  
Ukyou was about to respond when Ryouga ran up to them grinning so widely it almost looked painful. Ukyou had to admit that Ryouga had never looked so happy. He looked like he was in a state of constant wonder and Ukyou had to smile at his enthusiasm.  
  
"Do you know I managed to find the playground, the restrooms, the fountain, and the trails sixteen times without getting lost once? When I played soccer I headed for the right goal every time!" There were tears in his eyes and he waved his hands around trying to express his feelings. He said, "My brain is full of locations and addresses that I can understand now. I can tell you ten different ways you can get to the Tendo Dojo from here!"  
  
Ukyou had to smile again. Ryouga's joy was just too infectious. She asked, "So no disappointments?"  
  
"It's so much better than I ever dreamed. There are no words. You know how you can wish for something with all your heart and once you get it you never feel as happy as you thought you would. This is nothing like that. Ukyou, I don't know how I can ever thank you."  
  
"You could go after the sorcerer and make this permanent," Ukyou replied without thinking.  
  
A slight frown came over Ryouga's face then vanished. He said, "How have you been doing? I can't believe I forgot to ask!"  
  
Ukyou waved her hand. "It's not that big a deal. Yeah, I was more scared than I thought I'd be but I think I can handle it."  
  
Ryouga stared disbelievingly at her. He grabbed Ukyou by the shoulders and spun her around then said, "Head for those trees then come back."  
  
Her heart felt like it stopped as she said wanly, "Okay, sure." She kept her gaze on the trees and used every sense she had to ensure she was moving in a straight line. The trees were barely a dozen feet away but this felt like the longest journey of her life. She finally made contact with the nearest tree and upon touching the reassuring trunk she relaxed. She whirled around to grin triumphantly at Ryouga and saw he wasn't there. She turned her head left and right hoping she had simply disoriented herself. The playground and fountain was nowhere to be seen and the long row of picnic benches seemed to have vanished.  
  
"I couldn't have messed up this badly," Ukyou muttered to herself before she yelled, "This isn't funny Ryouga! Come out!"  
  
There was no reply. She tried screaming for Konastu and after two more cries she grew angry and started walking in a random direction hoping to find the edge of the forest. No such luck. Her anger gradually grew to panic. What if she had lost Ryouga then compounded her error by getting even more lost? She should have stayed in one place and waited for help. Now maybe she wouldn't be found for weeks. Images of her emaciated, decomposed corpse found five feet away from civilization flashed through her mind. It was quite possible now.  
  
This was stupid, she thought. She had been lost in the woods before and this shouldn't have bothered her so much, but she had never felt so lost before. She couldn't even be sure that she wasn't simply going around in circles. She had begun marking trees with her spatula and hadn't seen them again but that simply meant that she couldn't find them again.  
  
Exhaustion finally overtook her and she sagged against a log. She was a martial artist, damn it! She shouldn't feel like she was about to cry. Nothing made sense any more. Everything looked familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time. This was driving her crazy.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
Ukyou looked up to see Ryouga staring solemnly at her.  
  
"I hate you," she replied trying to sound sincere but failed. She gave him a relieved and grateful glance before she picked up her battle spatula and began beating him with it.  
  
"Why are you always leaving me behind?!" she cried indignantly. After a few minutes, she sat back down and waited for Ryouga to recover. When he did so he looked meaningfully at her and said, "You wouldn't have understood otherwise. The curse isn't that bad if you're with friends and family but how often are you going to be able to actually see those people? Most of the time I'm alone for months on end. this was only a small taste of that."  
  
"I don't get it," Ukyou said wiping her face. "I've been alone before. I've even been lost a couple times."  
  
"And I'm guessing in those cases you had a general idea of how to retrace your steps or you felt confident you were clever enough to find your way again. Those strategies won't work any more. You'll only have blind luck on your side. It's isn't the getting lost that wears you down. It's that constant feeling of helplessness over something you no longer have any control over or in my case never had to begin with."  
  
Ukyou sat silently for a moment. "Ryouga, I never knew. Now that I do you can't expect me just to walk away and leave you like this."  
  
"There's no reason for you to do this," Ryouga said gently.  
  
"Honey, you don't understand. I want to do this. Why do I have to get anything out of this? Isn't it enough that I want to do something good for somebody else for once in my life?"  
  
"You can't make me accept this. It's not right."  
  
Ukyou was ready to argue but seeing Ryouga's set face she deflated. "Just think on it. Promise me that."  
  
"I promise," Ryouga replied looking relieved.  
  
"Do you still have that map that your dad gave you?" Ukyou asked suddenly.  
  
"Of course. I wouldn't just leave that lying around."  
  
Ukyou looked hard at Ryouga and saw no other way to change his mind. She said, "I'm sorry, Ryouga."  
  
"For what?"  
  
She didn't reply but instead transferred an enormous amount of ki to her arms then swung her spatula with all her might. Watching the arc Ryouga was flying in, she felt a twinge of guilt and wondered how Ryouga's parents would take this news. He hadn't even gotten to say goodbye to his parents. But it wasn't like he couldn't find his way back if he really wanted to. She was just making her point to show Ryouga how serious she was. It was necessary so he could fix his life. She hoped he would be okay.  
  
~*~  
  
Ryouga had nothing to do but think as he reached the peak of his arc and started to descend. Ukyou had surprised the hell out of him. He had no idea she wanted him to do this so badly. What was he going to do now? He really only had two real options. He could go back and yell at Ukyou to forget her foolishness or else he could go forward. What would he have done if he was in her place? If Ukyou wasn't a factor would he want to do this? The answer that came to him was a resounding yes.  
  
His forehead wrinkled in thought. Was it selfish of him to want to go and to finally put an end to his nightmare of a life? Did the fact that if he succeeded he would cure his parents as well as himself change anything? There was no reason to decide now. He had another few days before he was forced to make a decision and at the very least he should say goodbye to his parents; but, something in him rebelled. He was not a man who sat around and twiddled his thumbs when there were decisions to be made. Granted, his impulsiveness caused him problems but on one could ever say he didn't go after what he wanted, and he wanted to do this.  
  
He dragged himself out of the crater he had formed upon landing and dusted himself off. He stared back in the direction in which he came. He knew he could make it back. It would prove no more difficulty than it would a normal person. It was that knowledge that cemented his decision. He turned and headed in the opposite direction, unfolding his precious map as he did so. He would have liked to have spent a little more time with his parents, but he would have all the time in the world once he got back.  
  
For the next two days, he enthusiastically used the sun and stars, his compass, and his now functioning GPS receiver to follow the directions on his map. He felt like the richest man in the world. Sure, he was dirty and his rations were running low but he knew where he was going!  
  
It was nightfall when he finally set up camp a half mile away from the cave where the sorcerer supposedly dwelled. His first inclination had been to rush in and take his foe off-guard. A few minutes of thought told him that was probably foolhardy. He most likely lost any advantage of surprise he had the instant he transferred the curse to Ukyou. The sorcerer must know he was coming so it was better to be well-rested and prepared. Also, his father had talked about the challenges he had to face before he could enter the inner sanctum of the cave. He had been surprisingly reticent on the subject insisting that the challenges would be different for Ryouga and there was no point in influencing his decision by either scaring him or inflating his ego over the difficulty of the challenges.  
  
At dusk, he woke and begun his morning exercises. He tried to clear his mind but all he could think of was how his mother always told him to be careful before he set out on any journey. He had always rolled his eyes at that thinking that had to be the most useless, redundant piece of advice ever devised but for some reason those words warmed his heart this morning. He had people to fight for, people who would miss him if he never came back. He would not lose. It was as simple as that.  
  
There was nothing particularly striking about the cave Ryouga came upon and he found it hard to believe anyone would live in there. Nonetheless, he unrolled the map and read the inscription on the back out loud. He said, "Hear me! Listen to my call Oh Grand and Mighty Sorcerer!"  
  
Gag me, Ryouga thought before he continued, "I am a member of the Hibiki clan, descendant of the late Aoba Hibiki, your former apprentice. I have come to do battle to remove the stain on my family name and rid myself and my clan of the horrible curse that plagues all Hibikis."  
  
"You mean the shame of being a Hibiki? Because to be honest, I always thought of all of you as a plague upon the people of Japan."  
  
Ryouga tightly gripped his umbrella and refused to be goaded. He cautiously watched as the dim outline of a man slowly moved toward the mouth of the cave. There was something disturbingly familiar about him. His nerves getting the better of him, Ryouga shouted, "Hurry up! I don't have all day!"  
  
"You never did have any patience, P-chan," the man said stepping out into the light.  
  
It was Ranma.  
  
"Ranma, is it really you?" Ryouga asked in shock. It obviously couldn't be but he couldn't think at the moment. This was the last thing he ever expected.  
  
Ranma's cocky grin grew wider. "Kami-sama, you really are stupid. No, I'm not the real Ranma but you're going to wish I was. Unlike him, I really don't care if I kill you."  
  
This was definitely not Ranma. For one thing he sounded educated. Ryouga rubbed his chin in thought. The deity or whomever had made him promise not to attack Ranma but surely, this guy was up for grabs. Ryouga slowly grinned and asked, "So after I defeat you, I get to enter the cave, right?"  
  
"That's *if* you defeat me, porky," Ranma replied before he vanished in a red streak of color.  
Ryouga barely had time to brace himself from the hundreds of punches that slammed into him. Ryouga used every skill and method of attack he knew, both non-lethal and otherwise. Hours seemed to fly by as inch by inch he lost ground. He expected to start out losing but he never thought he would lose so badly. He had always been on an equal footing with Ranma before.  
  
Ranma suddenly backed off and sneered as Ryouga fought for breath. He said, "Don't you understand yet? You could never beat me in a straight fight and I held back most of the time. Gods man, I tore Saffron to pieces! What can you possibly do?"  
  
Ryouga tried not to let the words affect him but he couldn't shield himself from the truth. Ranma was better than him. The only times he ever gained an advantage over Ranma that wasn't by magic was the times after he learned the Breaking Point and Shi shi hadoken and even then those advantages had only been temporary. It wasn't fair. It wasn't enough that Ranma got the girls, a home, a family and friends, but he had to be better at the only thing Ryouga could truly call his own.  
  
He fought for almost two years to defeat Ranma and gain the only goal he had in his miserable existence and when he had given up on that he once again found Ranma standing in his way. It was too much. With a battle cry born of years of frustration and rage he attacked. The tide began to turn and he pumped more speed and strength into his limbs and fought harder than he ever had in his life.  
  
He was exhilarated to see the fake Ranma slowing down and making mistakes. Ranma was backing up too much and was suddenly vulnerable. Ryouga immediately jumped in for the kill. A flicker of triumph flashed through Ranma's eyes. Ryouga instantly shifted his momentum just as Ranma shouted, "Hiryuu Shoten Ha!"  
  
Ryouga hit the dirt just as the tornado formed no more than five feet away from him, powered by the lingering traces of hot ki still in the air. With such limited energy, the cyclone quickly died. Ranma stared down at him with an expression of surprise then he grinned. "That's more like it! I was afraid this was going to be too easy. Let's try it again."  
  
Ranma became a shadow again. Ryouga's strongest hits met only air. It was like trying to hit a fly. Damn it, there was no way a copy could be as good as his greatest foe. It wasn't impossible for him to win how was it he *never* got to lord over Ranma at least one minor win.  
  
It's because he takes you more seriously than. He had seen Ranma defeated dozens of times. He could always be defeated at least once by an enemy in a straight fight. Except by him, of course. Ryogua growled under his breath. It was long past time for him to get his entitled victory over Ranma. Was he truly that bad? He couldn't believe it. He had seen Ranma lose to wimps much weaker than he was, so anyone else, a voice in the back of his head murmured. Ryouga's eyes widened as he simultaneously blocked one of Ranma's blows with one hand and launched him away with a palm strike with the other. Ranma was never sloppy or overconfident when fighting him, at least compared to his attitude when fighting people like Copycat Ken. Yeah, Ranma would sometimes treat him like a joke but now Ryouga realized that there was always tenseness that belied his flippancy. Ranma was afraid of him! He knew if he ever got his hands on him, he'd be in real trouble. Something tickled at his brain.  
  
Ryouga punched all ten fingers into the ground. A chain of Breaking Points erupted from the ground, filling the air with rocks and dust masking everything. Ryouga then ripped off a dozen bandanas with each hand and threw them randomly around him. None of his cloth shuriken would hurt him of course as the ki charged in them would simply be reabsorbed if he was hit. A grunt of surprise was all he needed to locate Ranma. He slammed into Ranma at full speed and knocked him to the ground. Ranma's greatest advantage was his speed and that simply was not a factor on the ground. Ranma was a great grappler but Ryouga's greatest quality had always been his strength. Even Ranma respected that.  
  
Even so, Ranma was a hellcat. He wriggled and squirmed and clawed and pulled a multitude of downright dirty tricks. Ryouga knew Ranma would slip out of his grip sooner or later and knew he had to take drastic measures. He removed a switchblade from his boot and placed it against Ranma's throat. Ranma immediately stilled but he looked upon Ryouga with contempt.  
  
"I never thought you would stoop so low. All that talk about your honor was just crap, wasn't it?"  
  
"And you're one to lecture me about underhanded tactics, right?" Ryouga asked harshly. "Tricking me, humiliating me, and let's not forget cursing me! You're a regular saint, Ranma!"  
  
"For crying out loud, you didn't have to follow me!"  
  
A red haze settled over his eyes and Ryouga said softly, "And you didn't have to knock me into a spring. You didn't have to interfere every time I tried to tell Akane I loved her. You didn't have to taunt me and make me feel like dirt."  
  
Ranma smiled at that and said, "Come on, Ryouga, how could I not laugh at someone so pathetic? Always crying and whining about the hell you've been through. Of course the funniest thing of all was that you actually thought you had a chance with Akane!"  
  
Ranma started to laugh but it quickly died off when Ryouga applied pressure and broke the surface of the neck with the blade. Ryouga looked down at blood seeping out of the cut and said tonelessly, "I knew that when I made my decision to come here that I would most likely end up killing someone. It's funny but I never thought it would be you."  
  
"Are you sure about that, *buddy?*" Ranma asked mockingly. "If you had the real Ranma right here right now, would you really pass up the chance to kill him?"  
  
"Yes," Ryouga replied firmly.  
  
"Not on purpose maybe but no doubt in a real fight at this point you'd be too full of hatred and pain to care about little things like morals. You lack self-control, Ryouga, and I think deep down you prefer it that way. If someone gets hurt or property gets damaged you can blame it on the berserker in you instead of placing the blame where. it. really. lies."  
  
Ryouga's hand was crushing Ranma's throat and for an instant all he wanted most in the world was to snuff out the life of his tormenter. He raised his knife and in one smooth, fluid motion he slammed it into Ranma's temple, handle first. The pig-tailed boy's eyes flickered with surprise before they went blank.  
  
After making sure Ranma was truly out, Ryouga collapsed to the ground and allowed the tears to fall down his face. He would have done it. It didn't matter that it hadn't really been Ranma. He would have done it. There were only two other moments in his life when he felt so ashamed. The first was after he learned the Bakesai Tenkstu. In those moments of insanity when he was overwhelmed with his newfound invincibility, nothing would have given him more pleasure than to touch Ranma and watch him explode in a fountain of bloody pieces.  
  
The second time was even worse and haunted him still. It was the love- koi fishing rod incident. Ranma had been hit with it by accident and fallen heads over heels in love with him. Those had been the most terrifying days of his life when he had realized that Ranma would literally do *anything* for him. Filled with disgust and loathing he actually planned to kill Ranma and bury him where he would never be found. At the last moment when he saw that Ranma was perfectly willing to let Ryouga kill him because it'd make him *happy,* Ryouga had recoiled in horror.  
  
Was he a monster after all? Did he even deserve to get cured? Nothing could ever be more painful, frightening, or horrible as the truth. Ryouga stared at the entrance to the cave no less than a few feet away from him. This was likely his only chance for salvation and he'd be a fool to leave it behind. Then again, he'd been a fool for most of his life. He took one final look at the cave and turned to go. He'd be back someday, somehow.  
  
"Hey, where are you going?"  
  
It was Ranma and Ryouga instantly fell into a defensive position but Ranma didn't seem to be in the mood to fight. He said, "The cave's that way. Jeez, I know your sense of direction's lousy most of the time but you don't even have that excuse right now!"  
  
Ryouga was at a loss for words. He wondered if he should even say anything when Ranma made an impatient sound then said, "I did not let you get in that lucky shot just so you can run away and sulk somewhere."  
  
That immediately grabbed Ryouga's attention. "What do you mean 'lucky shot'? I beat your ass fair and square!"  
  
Ranma smiled condescendingly. "Of course you did. My point is that the big guy I work for spent quite a bit of time setting up these challenges for you and it'd be a damn waste if you just walked away. Did you just forget that if you succeed the curse is lifted from you *and* your entire family?"  
  
Ranma smiled at Ryouga's stupefied and chagrined expression. "So are you in or not?"  
  
Ryouga stared at the doppelganger. He wasn't thinking about his sins or even the possibility of curing his family at the moment. He was thinking of just how much like the real Ranma this copy was at the moment. Ranma was always the first to forgive and forget. He rarely ever got truly angry for long and despite the numerous times he attacked him, Ranma would more often than not greet him with a smile. This strange air of calm and acceptance was one of the reasons he resented the other boy so. His own shortcomings were so easily seen when mirrored through Ranma.  
  
He was tired of being lonely and afraid. He wanted peace and stability in his life. Most of all, he wanted to be the type of person who would not immediately resort to violence for everything first. Something had to change. What was that old saying? All journeys begin with a single step. Ryouga decided he needed to start his.  
  
~*~  
  
Akane was staring at him again. He had gobbled through six bowls of ice cream while she had idly stirred her first bowl watching him. A few weeks ago, Ranma would have made a fuss and teased her for her obvious concern. Had he really been so shallow? He looked straight back at her and waited for her to speak.  
  
Akane stirred her mushy ice cream around a few more times then asked, "What was it like?"  
  
Ranma shifted his body in surprise. "Don't you know?"  
  
"Yes. No. I don't know. Everything was so confusing. I thought there'd be a light, you know? But it was just getting dark and cold."  
  
"It was like that for me too." Ranma was quiet for a moment then he said, "I know this will sound corny, but you saved me, Akane. I heard your voice. It would have been so easy for me to give up, to go to sleep, but I knew there were still things I had to do."  
  
He had been speaking quietly to the table the whole time, but now he looked up and was surprised once again. Akane had never looked so. vulnerable. Tears glistened in her eyes and he didn't know why. He started again. "Akane, I know that we haven't always gotten along and we're both stubborn mules, but I want you to know that I wouldn't have traded the last year with you for anything. I want you to know."  
  
Why was this so difficult? He tried again. "There aren't the best of circumstances, but I lo-"  
  
With a speed he didn't know she possessed, Akane pressed a hand over his mouth. She whispered, "It's okay, Ranma. I understand."  
  
For a moment, Ranma was elated but that hope crashed with Akane's next words.  
  
"I know how events like this can make you say things you don't mean. I don't want you to say things that you'll regret later." She didn't look at him.  
  
Ranma wanted to protest and tell her in no uncertain terms how he felt, but looking at her face he knew that she wouldn't believe him. And why should she? How many times had he complimented her or shown her some sign of caring only to take it back an instant later? Why should she believe him when only months before he denied ever saying he loved her?  
  
What excuse would he make tomorrow? He just came back from the dead and had been split in half only weeks before. Who could say that he would be so comfortable with his feelings once all this had settled in? Oh God, what kind of lout was he?  
  
Wordlessly, he dropped some bills on the table and he and Akane left the café.  
  
A few blocks later, Akane asked quietly, "Back in the hospital, something was bothering you. You said you'd tell me what it was. I want to help."  
  
Ranma was silent for a few more blocks. Then he replied, "I was afraid I was wasting my life. Every day, I sleep through class, fight somebody, and freeload off my fiancées. Is that all I am? Is that what I'm doing with the skills I'm always bragging about?"  
  
"It's funny. The other Ranma said pretty much the same thing," Akane said. "She wondered if she did more harm than good in her life."  
  
"And what did you tell her?"  
  
"That she was a good person and that it's never too late to change," Akane replied.  
  
Ranma shook his head. "Even after everything that's happened to me, I still can't make myself want to be cursed again. Does that make me a bad person?"  
  
Akane reached out and grabbed his hand. She squeezed it lightly. "No. I can understand wanting to be normal."  
  
Ranma chuckled. "I never wanted to be normal. Or at least the kind that everyone thinks is so great. But I don't want to be a freak either."  
  
The two walked on for a while before Ranma announced, "I'll make it up to her. I'll make it up to all of them." He turned to Akane and there was determination in his eyes. "I want to do something that matters, Akane. I want to do something good." He paused then continued, "I think I might have to leave Nerima for a while."  
  
"And go where?" Akane asked with a twinge of concern in her voice.  
  
Ranma smiled. "I just need some time to think. A training trip would do me some good." His voice cracked slightly as he asked, "Would you like to come along?"  
  
"I have to go."  
  
"What? Akane."  
  
Ranma watched the girl walk away from him and he sighed. Why couldn't it ever be easy?  
  
~*~  
  
Gabriel waved a hand a panoramic view of the universe appeared around the trio. Stars could be seen above and beneath. Cologne found it disconcerting to appear to be standing on nothing so she focused her attention on one specific area and involuntarily gasped. It was almost impossible to see but superimposed over the background of stars was a jagged tear in space. But it wasn't so much its appearance as it was the sheer number of them that shocked her. Everywhere she looked she could see the handiwork of a being or beings that appeared to have grabbed immense sections of space and simply obliterated them. And more holes were appearing every second.  
  
"Black holes?" Cologne asked uncertainly. Her knowledge of modern physics were sketchy at best (she left such matters to the more youthful elders) but she could tell these were not a natural phenomenon. Gabriel confirmed that assessment by saying, "They're not black holes, white holes, worm holes, or anything at all for that matter. It's *nothing.* No quantum activity or vibrations that we've come to associate with normal space. There's literally *nothing* there."  
  
Cologne felt a brief flicker of amusement at the thought that the archangel of Christianity was something of a physicist but she quickly sobered. She said, "I appreciate the magnitude of this problem but I must ask how is this related to the situation in Hell and how will this affect Earth?"  
  
Cindy said, "There is something you must understand first. You asked me earlier why we were necessary at all and why God couldn't create an error-free universe. You share an erroneous assumption that most of your race has. You assume that the Creator exists on the outside of the box rather than in it with us. He, anthropomorphically speaking of course, is not perfect and is subject to the same rules and laws as everyone else who lives here. You might ask who created those rules in the first place but that's neither here nor now."  
  
Cindy smiled self-consciously. "And as you can see from our meager powers, those rules aren't quite as binding as one would think. There are loopholes to everything which I believe your Amazon society discovered long ago. Here's my point. God is a force of nature, perhaps the ultimate force, but like any force there must be an opposite. Life and Death. Good and Evil. Creation and Destruction. Order and-"  
  
"Chaos," Cologne finished softly.  
  
Cindy nodded then continued, "God is really a term for one who organizes and sets structures. Now, normally God and Entropy get along pretty well and balance each other out. The universe basically runs itself and maintains equilibrium. They system worked pretty well for billions of years until you came along. And by you, I mean intelligent life."  
  
Gabriel made an inquiring gesture and said, "May I proceed?"  
  
Cindy nodded and Gabriel looked down at Cologne. "The Lord had always planned for the creation of intelligent force but even He was unprepared by how much havoc you wreaked on reality just by existing and observing. The effects were supposed to be minimal but it turned out that the sixth universal force, magic, the one so weak that your scientists have not even noticed its effects yet, had a bigger sway than was thought possible. It multiplied tenfold all of your collective and chaotic actions."  
  
Cologne grinned. "Well, it's been said that free will's a bitch. I find it interesting that Cindy thinks of God as a natural force while you talk of him as a person."  
  
Gabriel shrugged. "It's the way I was created. And who's to say we're not both right? I said before that magic had a bigger sway on Earth than it was supposed to have. One of the more interesting effects was us. A hierarchy of gods, angels, and every other supernatural being you could name was created out of the ether to either serve you or make your lives hell.  
  
"We've grown alongside you for eons and I admit that we've made mistakes but what can you expect? We were just more powerful and pettier versions of you; but, most of us have never stopped trying to protect you." He sighed. "Well, it's been an interesting life. I was hoping that I would one day see both our societies finally grow up. I always figured the end of the universe would be gentle as the stars ran down but I guess I was wrong."  
  
"Don't think like that," Cindy admonished. "We haven't gotten any sign that this is an official End of Everything. And until we do we will keep on working until what will happen happens, but there is a more immediate threat here. As Ned said, our forces are stretched to the breaking point and these reality dysfunctions are occurring with more frequency. We will need the help of humans like yourself to keep Earth from destroying itself in a fit of panic."  
  
"When will the next dysfunction occur?" Cologne asked worriedly.  
  
Cindy paused for a second then replied, "You do understand that while you have only spent a few hours here a few days have already passed on Earth."  
  
Cologne nodded. It was about what she expected after all the tales she'd heard as a youth.  
  
Cindy said, "I just want you to understand that even if we were to leave right this instant it'd be too late."  
  
"What will be?" Cologne asked impatiently to mask the chill in her bones.  
  
Cindy's eyes were sympathetic. "A reality quake just hit the Eastern Hemisphere."  
  
~*~  
  
Ranma(C) kicked a pebble as hard as she could. She barely noticed when it went through the windows of three parked cars in succession. She was confused and that was normal in a relationship with Akane where conflicting feelings often rued the day but it was much worse nowadays. Odd feelings had been stirred within her watching all the attention Ranma and Akane gave each other or the looks they gave when the other wasn't looking. Her mind finally acknowledged her feelings as jealously but it was tempered with the knowledge that she couldn't do anything about it in her current form.  
  
This must be how Ryouga feels, Ranma(C) thought despondently. Helpless to do anything as the person you love is focused on someone else. It was so easy, she found, to reveal feelings to herself about Akane when there were no consequences to fear. She was so deep in her ponderings she completely missed the warning tingle of her danger sense.  
  
"Watch out!" Someone shouted before slamming into her. They skidded across the street. Ranma(C) pushed the body off her and looked to where a red Toyota had skidded to a halt to right where she had been standing.  
  
"Thanks a lot. Kuno!" She looked in shock as her savior stumbled to his feet and struck an arrogant pose. "Yes. I, Tatewaki Kuno, could not stand by and watch my Pig-tailed Goddess be decimated by that metal scrapheap!"  
  
Ranma(C) was amused. She doubted that being hit by a car would have done more than faze her. Of course Kuno wouldn't know that. He had rescued her like a true martial artist would have and that impressed her.  
  
Uh oh. The kendoist was getting that gleam in his eye that showed he was going to do something stupid, but just then, a stout, gruff-looking man stepped out of his car and growled, "What kind of idiotic bimbo walks through a busy street like that? I should have run you over."  
  
"Foul fiend!" Kuno cried in outrage. He whipped out his bokken and shoved it into the man's face. "Have you no humanity in you? You could have killed this lady and now you insult her? Apologize at once!"  
  
"And what if I don't? Are you going to hit me with your toy sword?" the man mocked.  
  
Kuno casually took his wooden sword and sliced off the top of a nearby fire hydrant.  
  
The man's face turned white and the cigar he had been puffing fell out of his mouth. He began backing up babbling, "You know what, it was my fault. I am very sorry." He ran into his car and drove off like the demons of Hell were after him."  
  
"He must not be from around here," Ranma(C) commented. She didn't feel any sympathy for the rude, abrasive fellow. She would have apologized if he had been politer since she really should have watched where she was going. Then she saw Kuno was still standing there. "Uh, thanks for the help." She couldn't believe she was thanking Kuno for something! "I guess I'll see you later then."  
  
"I insist on walking you safely to your destination. I will brook no argument."  
  
Well, he did get rid of that jerk for her, Ranma(C) thought. She guessed she could tolerate his presence for a little while longer. Since she hadn't really been going anywhere she started walking in a random direction.  
  
"Shouldn't you be in the new school?" Ranma(C) asked curiously.  
  
Kuno shrugged. "And I would be except that foul sorcerer Saotome was missing. I rushed to stop him from unleashing his magicks on some unsuspecting woman! It was only my luck I happened upon you before he did and could do some heinous deed to you."  
  
Ranma(C) blinked. "Uh, that's great and all but you really didn't have to."  
  
"Of course I did! I would do anything to protect my loves!"  
  
Staring at Kuno, she could readily believe that he would die for her if she but commanded it. Guilt washed over Ranma(C). It was true Kuno was too dense to accept the truth but it was also true that she never hesitated to take advantage of him whenever she got the chance. He was a decent guy despite his perverted ways and she had wronged him.  
  
Your problems won't go away if you ignore them, Ranma(C) thought. Didn't she have more courage than that? He had just performed a heroic act. Didn't she owe him something? She took a breath and said, "Kuno, listen to me for a moment."  
  
"Yes, my love?" Kuno replied, his eyes shining.  
  
Ranma(C) sighed. She certainly had her work cut out for her. "I've been trying to knock some sense into that thick skull of yours for over a year but I guess that hasn't worked. There's no easy way to say this. Actually, yes there is. I don't feel the same way about you that you do about me. And just to prevent any misunderstandings let me repeat that I never have and never will have any kind of romantic feelings or thoughts toward you. Have I made myself clear?"  
  
Kuno's eyes were filled with shock and horror as he exclaimed, "You can't mean that! Saotome must have cast a spell upon you to force you to deny your true feelings."  
  
Ranma(C) felt like a heel but she was also annoyed. "Is it so hard to believe that simply chasing after someone doesn't make them love you?" Was it so hard for anyone she knew to believe that? "You don't even know my name yet you claim me like I was some type of prize! Chasing me makes you no better than a thug." Her voice rose higher. "So what will it be, Tatewaki Kuno? Will you accept that we might possibly be friends but never any more than that? Or will you be a stalker, a dishonorable bastard who gets his thrills out of terrorizing young women?"  
  
Kuno was shaking his head as if trying to force her words out of his head. He said, "No! I refuse to believe this! Can you not see that this is not your will? Even if you do not, I see the truth." He reached for her with desperation upon his face.  
  
Ranma(C) grabbed his wrist and stared at him coldly. She had wanted to be nice about this but a line had been crossed and one way or another she would get through to him. She said harshly, "So it is you who defines reality, is it, sempai? Then I suppose if you were to rape me right now would you write off my cries as another part of the *spell?* And what about the future? Will you take what you need even if a woman rejects you because she obviously 'wants' it? Will you believe that you are saving her because you know better than she about what she wants? What woman would be safe from you then, Kuno? Tell me that."  
  
Kuno's eyes were wide and he stared at her as if she was a serpent. He stuttered, "You can. can not honestly believe I would *ever* do such a thing."  
  
Ranma(C) remembered the wishing sword incident where Kuno could have wished her to be his love slave but he didn't. The thought apparently never even crossed his mind. It had definitely crossed hers. She wished every night that she could be a normal boy who didn't have to worry about things like being taken advantage of or getting pregnant. But she did have to worry about such things and she was all too painfully aware of the few times when her life could have changed forever. Now, she would have to live with those worries forever.  
  
Her vision blurred and she had to take a deep breath to steady herself. She said slowly, "No, you wouldn't. Not on purpose, but what will happen if you keep living in denial? What happens when one woman too many rejects you and your mind snaps in the heat of the moment? Will you be able to live with yourself afterward?"  
  
Kuno was trembling now and his face was an ashy gray. His eyes were filled with despair and his mouth opened and closed soundlessly. Ranma(C) didn't think he would look more pained if she had stabbed him. Kuno finally looked into her eyes and said, "I. can't. I am so sorry. I need some time."  
  
Ranma(C) released her grip and watched Kuno slowly stumble away from her. Part of her felt bad that she had to be so blunt with the guy but another part felt relieved that she had finally gotten Kuno to see that what he was doing was wrong. She hoped he would be okay.  
  
~*~  
  
Kuno ran. He didn't know where he was going and he didn't care. He ignored the burning in his legs. He had worse. He deserved worse. No bodily pain could match the agony in his heart. His tears distorted the world around him causing him to stumble from time to time. It seemed appropriate. After all, his world had been distorted for the last two years.  
  
He should have been strong enough to see the truth for himself. He shouldn't have had to see the pity and disgust in his love's eyes. Kuno snorted to himself. Love? What did he know of love? He was a fool and an idiot. He finally noticed the people on the streets staring at him and trying to get out of his way.  
  
He felt like laughing. They were right to be afraid of him. He was a freak and a danger to others. He needed to get away from their accusing eyes. Her accusing eyes. He turned and ran down a hill that was off to his right. He ran until he could run no more then he sagged against a wall, breathing heavily.  
  
He closed his eyes and tried to think. There was no way he could handle this alone. He needed someone to talk to. It was unfortunate that his family was insane and that he had no real friends to speak to. There was only one option left then. He looked up and was surprised to see a train ticket counter. Perhaps the gods had not completely forsaken him.  
  
He walked unsteadily toward the counter and said, "One ticket to Jubaan, please."  
  
The ride was uneventful and by the time the train had stopped at his destination, Kuno had regained some of his composure. He was still desolate but he no longer felt overcome with grief. He took a minute to take his bearings then headed in the direction of the household of Nodoka Saotome.  
  
When he came within a block of the Saotome home, his pace slowed to a crawl. Was this a good idea? How could he show the woman who humiliated him so easily how the mighty Kuno had fallen? How could he crawl back to her and confirm her worst opinions of him?  
  
Then his shoulders drooped. It was this type of blind, unthinking pride that had caused him to end up here in the first place. He straightened his posture and entered through the gates.  
  
~*~  
  
Ranma(C) checked her new stylish watch. It was only 10:15 so the lunch rush shouldn't have started yet and she should be able to get some answers. She walked toward the Nekohaten, deep in thought. It occurred to her that being a separate entity from the male Ranma she would have more influence with the people she knew. She wondered why she cared so much about the people who caused so much chaos in her life. Maybe because in some ways it was her fault their lives were the way they were. Or maybe it was just because it was nice having people actually listen to what she thought instead of blindly attacking or glomping her on sight. But she still needed to get her own life together before she could help anyone else and so she needed the one person who might possibly understand where she was coming from.  
  
She entered the restaurant and looked around. There weren't many people around but she couldn't find the person she was looking for. She had just decided to go check the back when a wave of vertigo ran through her and she clutched her stomach in agony. Then just as suddenly the pain vanished. She stood up wondering what just happened when a voice broke her thoughts.  
  
"Airen?" A hopeful voice out of the kitchen asked. Shampoo bounded out and looked crestfallen when she saw Ranma(C). "Oh, only girl-type Ranma."  
  
Girl-type Ranma wasn't sure how to respond to this. But her confusion was quickly replaced with concern as she looked at Shampoo. The purple- haired Amazon just wasn't the cheerful, bubbly girl she usually was. "Shampoo, what's wrong?"  
  
Shampoo gave her a wary look then evidently decided it didn't matter what she said. She said, "Shampoo so sure when Ranma get cured he come take Shampoo on date to celebrate. He not even come see me."  
  
"I'm sure he had other things on his mind," Ranma(C) said lamely.  
  
Shampoo shook her head. "Shampoo bad person. That why Ranma no see. He no like me," she said sadly.  
  
"That's not true," Ranma(C) said sincerely. "You're his friend but you can understand why he'd be uncomfortable around you. You know, the magic potions and all. But I wouldn't call you a bad person. Overenthusiastic, yeah! I mean, you could have tried to kill me by now." Then it occurred to her that it might not have been a smart thing to bring up the Kiss of Death and she subtly shifted her body into a defensive stance.  
  
Shampoo waved her hand. "You my friend. Shampoo not kill. But it no matter. Shampoo be dishonored anyway if not bring Airen home."  
  
Ranma(C) said gently, "You know Ranma doesn't care about your laws-"  
  
"Shampoo care!" the Chinese girl cried. "Shampoo be punished. First time Jusenkyo. Second time don't know what!"  
  
This rocked Ranma(C). She had never thought of that. Those stupid village laws had always been an abstract annoyance to her, but they were all too real to the girl in front of her. She said, "I can't believe that a place with such great martial arts could have such dumb laws."  
  
Shampoo's eyes flashed and she said angrily "How you call stupid? You no know what you talk about. Do you know history of village? No! How can you talk so then?"  
  
Ranma(C) replied, "I don't have to know much to know when something is ridiculous."  
  
"Well, I guess Japan perfect then. No stupid laws worry about," Shampoo said sarcastically.  
  
Ranma(C) immediately thought of the burakumin, people who were considered unclean and ostracized by others simply because some ancestor of theirs had a bad job, and decided not to argue the point. Then she asked, "If I could find a way to get you out of marrying Ranma and allow you to keep your honor, would you do it?" She immediately cringed expecting another sarcastic retort along the lines of asking where this generous offer was six months ago or just an outright refusal.  
  
Shampoo surprised her by looking like she was actually thinking about it before she pounded the table with her fist and cried, "Shampoo not stupid. Know Ranma no love but Airen such strong warrior. Kind and brave. Shampoo not want give up."  
  
"Doesn't a warrior have the right to choose his own life? Hasn't he earned that right?" Ranma(C) asked. When Shampoo started to look uncertain, she pressed on, "You're going to lose him completely if you keep pushing."  
  
Shampoo sat silently for a very long moment then she lifted her chin and said softly, "Ranma never talk so much before."  
  
Ranma(C) was taken back by this sudden shift in subject and replied without thinking, "No one ever let me talk before."  
  
Shampoo smiled at this and said, "Shampoo know how you feel." Her brow furrowed and she said with deliberate concentration, "I want to thank you for talking to me. It means a lot."  
  
"Any time, Xian Pu," Ranma(C) replied just as deliberately, "Any time." She turned to leave when another round of queasiness hit her and she felt everything fracture.  
  
~*~  
  
The Nekohaten wasn't really a big place but she couldn't find the long- haired duck boy anywhere. She turned to leave and bumped into him. Mousse smiled down at her and said, "I believe you were looking for me."  
  
Ranma(C) eyed him warily. "I half-expected you to attack me just for being here."  
  
Mouse shrugged. "I have no problem with you and I saw what you did with Shampoo back there. She hasn't looked so relaxed in a long time. But I am wondering why you are here."  
  
What was he talking about? She just got here and she hadn't seen Shampoo in weeks. Whatever. Mousse was probably mistaking things again. She opened her mouth to tell him why she was here but then she hesitated. Her newfound ability to talk things out was all well and good but she couldn't get over a decade-long habit of concealing her feelings, especially when they concerned herself and her feelings for a certain tomboy. She opened her mouth to mumble some excuse for leaving when Mousse raised a hand to silence her.  
  
"Let me guess. You are confused about your newly admitted feelings for Akane Tendo and you wish to seek my advice because out of everyone you know I might actually be able to help you because I fully understand what it's like to love somebody who's in love with someone else."  
  
"How do you know that?" Ranma(C) asked flabbergasted.  
  
Mousse snorted then replied, "After living in Nerima for so long I'd be a fool if I didn't realize what the implications of you being split were."  
  
Ranma(C) crossed her arms, displeased at his arrogance. "What makes you the sudden expert on me and Akane?"  
  
"Oh, please. Everyone in Nerima except you two knows how you feel about each other." Mousse ignored Ranma(C)'s sudden crash to the floor and continued, "I have long ago realized that attacking you wouldn't help me, so I've tried to get you and Akane together. I'm happy that you've finally admitted the truth to yourself. Unfortunately, now that a break-through has occurred I have no words to wisdom to offer."  
  
"It's because I'm a girl, isn't it?" Ranma(C) asked disgruntled.  
  
"I suppose that means you're going to give up then?" Mousse asked stabbing a finger at her. "This may just be the opinion of a blind man but I believe a person is defined by their memories and experiences and not just by what they look like."  
  
"Easy for you to say. There's only one of you," Ranma(C) muttered. "You know as well as I do that even if what you say were true Akane would go after the male Ranma."  
  
"Really? That's a rather large lack of faith on your part. But if that's true so be it. Have you considered what Akane wants? That should be more important than your own desires, Saotome."  
  
Ranma(C) was getting annoyed at the way Mousse was lecturing her. "This from a guy who spent almost thirteen years chasing after a girl who enjoys beating the crap out of him."  
  
Ranma(C) braced herself for an act of rage but what she got instead was a despair so deep she actually flinched. Mousse said visibly restraining himself, "What you say is true but it doesn't matter to me. I love Shampoo with all my heart and soul. She really is a good person and even if she never considers me as more than an irritating friend, I will still do my best to make sure her life goes better than mine has."  
  
The pig-tailed girl looked at the Chinese acrobat with something akin to respect. She said, "I'm sorry, Mousse. I didn't mean to insult you. But now I think you're the one giving up too easily. How do you know Shampoo doesn't like you?"  
  
Mousse's shoulders drooped as he replied tiredly, "Don't mock me, Saotome. Shampoo scorns me whenever I proclaim my love."  
  
Ranma(C) snapped, "Maybe it's because you're always sprouting your love or glomping on her! I can tell you from personal experience that's really annoying! A real friend would be just that. He'd treat her as a person and give her some space!"  
  
Mousse was silent. Finally, he said, "That will require some thought."  
  
"Yeah, whatever," Ranma(C) replied. She turned to leave then fell to her knees when what felt like Ryouga's fist impacted her stomach.  
  
~*~  
  
Ranma(C) found Mousse in his room sitting at his desk. He was staring thoughtfully at an envelope in front of him. He looked up as she entered. "Hello, Saotome. Did you want something else?" Then he directed his attention back to his desk.  
  
Ranma(C) frowned. What could be more interesting than her? And what did he mean by 'something else'? She just got here! She shrugged it off then asked, "What ya got there?"  
  
"A letter from my master," Mousse mumbled. "Something serious has happened. Look at the stamp."  
  
She did so and a saw a picture of a shoreline and an ocean with cruise ships sailing in the far background. She said, "It's a beach. It's a nice looking beach but so what?"  
  
"It is a beautiful beach and I'm sure the Americans thought so too." He handed her a magnifying glass. She peered through the glass and saw that what she thought were cruise ships were actually naval carriers. A focus to the right made her eyes widen. "I had no idea they made 44 cent stamps."  
  
She handed the glass back and said, "So we have D-day at Normandy. Is your master always so cheerful?"  
  
Mousse looked a bit surprised at her certainty as he said, "Sometimes he likes to test my skills in subterfuge but this time he has me stumped. I surmised as you did that this was the beach in Germany right before all hell broke loose. The message is obvious but what I don't understand is the nature of the threat."  
  
"Why don't you try opening the envelope to find out?" she asked.  
  
Mousse looked reproachful at this prospect but he silently passed the envelope to her. She quickly tore it open and pulled out a sheaf of papers. Her face fell as she spread them out. Every single page was blank.  
  
"Invisible ink maybe?" she thought out loud as she held a sheet up to the light to see if she could see anything.  
  
Mousse smirked. "Don't be so obvious. He wants you to waste your energy on the paper." He sighed. "Normally I would relish this game but I'm getting a bad feeling about all this." He grabbed the envelope and reached inside with a look of intense concentration. He pulled out a sheaf of papers.  
  
"But there was nothing in there!" Ranma(C) protested.  
  
"Hidden Weapons. Not just for chains and swords," Mousse murmured as he skimmed through the pages.  
  
"Yeah, whatever," Ranma(C) replied deciding as long as this didn't directly impact her she wasn't going to get involved. She said, "I don't mean to sound rude but what I really wanted to talk about was. um. well."  
  
"Your newly admitted feelings for Akane Tendo, yes, yes," Mousse said impatiently as he turned a page. "We talked about this less than five minutes ago and you still can't even say it out loud."  
  
Ranma(C) stared at him in confusion. "Five minutes ago? What the hell are you talking about? I just got here like a minute ago and I don't remember talking about this!"  
  
"Saotome, have you gotten hit in the head more than usual lately?" Mousse asked with his eyes still running up and down the pages. "Because you're making even less sense than usual."  
  
His face lost all color and he muttered, "This is impossible. How could this have happened?"  
  
"What happened?" Ranma(C) demanded. "What's going on?"  
  
Mousse ignored her and yelled, "Shampoo! Get in here!"  
  
Shampoo stuck her head in the doorway with an irritated expression on her face. "What stupid Mousse want?"  
  
"I need the Orb of Gondola. Don't argue with me. Get it!"  
  
Complete shock was now written upon Shampoo's face but she didn't argue. As she disappeared, Ranma(C) asked, "What the heck's going on? What's this orb thingie?"  
  
"Be patient, Saotome!" Mousse said tensely as he frantically flipped the pages in his hand.  
  
Shampoo came back with a glowing glass globe in one hand and a pedestal in the other. She set it down carefully then asked, "What Mousse need for? Great grandmother say only use in emergency."  
  
"And that's exactly what this is," Mousse said to her. He turned to Ranma(C). "This Orb allows a person to see things that are hidden to them. Watch." He jammed the orb into the pedestal then twisted it three times to the right then once to the left.  
  
Nothing happened. Ranma(C) was annoyed. She said angrily, "Mousse, tell me what's going on!" She moved to shake the answers out of the duck- boy, but before she could take a step she collapsed to the ground.  
  
~*~  
  
Soun Tendo rubbed his eyes and decided that he had filled out enough paperwork for the day. The joys of bureaucracy, indeed! Looking over the proposals to rebuild the school, planning the logistics of where to bus Furinkan's student population for the time being, and dealing with the mindless babble of every group and organization that wanted their interests put first was beginning to drive him mad.  
  
He smiled ruefully. He had certainly felt honored when the town council made him the head of the committee to handle this crisis and the citizens seemed to approve of his appointment. He also knew that his position had been given to him for three simple reasons. One, he had the most experience dealing with random destruction and mayhem. Two, these people were drawing on the lingering memories of when he had been a beloved community leader and not the wreck of a man he was now. And third, he had volunteered.  
  
The smile faded from his lips. He didn't know what came over him that night. The council looked so lost and his friends and neighbors so worried that he found himself reassuring everyone that everything would be okay and that he would help ensure that the people of this community remained safe. He still didn't know what made him do so.  
  
Perhaps a man could only take so much before he was moved to action. His daughter had almost died twice within the last few months and so had his future son-in-law. Whatever motivated him caused him to feel alive again for the first time in years and it had also driven home how far he had fallen. Before he had gone to the meeting, he had heard his daughter crying in her room and hesitated only a moment before passing on.  
  
What kind of father did that? The question gnawed away at him. When was the last time he had a meaningful conversation with his daughters or even hugged them? Was he that self-absorbed? Did he really not care?  
  
No, the problem was that he cared too much. He knew he was not a strong man and without his dear Kimiko he was a coward. He was afraid to face his own children and knew he could not give them what they needed so by default it was left to Kasumi to bear the burden. Shame threatened to overwhelm him. She knew his daughters better than he did. He wondered if things could have been different.  
  
He didn't remembered walking but he found himself outside Akane's door. He knocked and said, "It's me."  
  
There was silence and he began to wonder if she was in there at all when Akane opened the door. Her eyes were puffy and her face red. She said, "If you're looking for Mister Saotome or Kasumi I don't know where they are."  
  
Those words broke his heart. Had he become that much of a stranger to her? He cleared his throat. "No Akane, I wanted to talk to you."  
  
There was no reply. Soun gathered his courage and entered the room. Akane glared at him with a sullen expression.  
  
Soun asked, "Would you like to tell me what's wrong?  
  
Akane snorted. "What isn't? I don't know if I want to tell you. What's the matter? You didn't have anything better to do?"  
  
Soun was shocked. "Akane, I want to help you."  
  
Akane looked angry. "Where were you when I ran away to Ryuzenyana? When were you ever going to really explain why you blackmailed me into marrying Ranma? Why does it take me landing in the hospital for you to talk to me? Where were you for the last twelve fucking years?!"  
  
Without any conscious thought, he was across the room, enveloping the girl in his arms. She raged and sobbed and tried to push him away, but Soun held firm. He allowed her anger and pain to wash over him and strengthen his resolve. Akane finally ran down and they sat there with him gently rocking her back and forth.  
  
Finally, Akane said, "Ranma almost told me he loved me today." She paused obviously waiting for a reaction. When Soun said nothing, she continued, "I stopped him. I gave him a way to back down. I was afraid of what would happen if he didn't stop. I was afraid that he would take it back again. I couldn't take that again."  
  
She turned her head away. "I saw the look in his eyes and I imagined it fading one day. I couldn't take it if something I did caused that. I'd rather Ukyou or Shampoo get him than have him hate me someday. And it would happen. Something would set me off or maybe there'd be no reason at all. Daddy, what's wrong with me? Why can't I control my anger? Why am I always hurting people?"  
  
Akane's anger ha always been her greatest problem, but it never occurred to him that Akane herself knew that. Where Nabiki had become emotionless and Kasumi had in her own way retreated from the world Akane had done the opposite. She screamed out at an unjust universe and never stopped screaming since.  
  
He should have been there for her, but this was not the time for self- recriminations. He said softly, "I'm sorry I was never there for you. I'm sorry you suffered so. I'm sorry I only made your life more difficult. All I ever wanted for you and your sisters was for all of you to be happy. Honey, if it helps, I don't think Ranma would ever leave you."  
  
Akane stared at him. "You can't be sure of that."  
  
"No, I can't but please consider this. Ranma might pick another fiancée or he might even choose to leave forever and that will hurt but wouldn't it hurt worse not to try at all? There is nothing worse in life than those regrets of what might have been."  
  
"No, there isn't," Akane agreed and by the look in her eyes Soun knew she was thinking about her mother. He could tell because he did it all the time.  
  
~*~  
  
"Anybody get the number of that truck that hit me?" Ranma(C) groaned. Shampoo stood over head with a wet cloth in hand.  
  
"Are you alright, Saotome?" Mousse asked actually sounding concerned.  
  
"Try having a bunch of memories slam into you then ask that again."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Never mind. What the hell's going on? What did that orb thingie do?"  
  
Mousse's voice was tense. "Look around and see for yourself."  
  
Ranma(C) opened her eyes and stared in awe. She could see the outlines of ki surrounding the bodies of Shampoo and Mousse and that wasn't all. There was a faint shimmering that pervaded their auras. She realized that it was the curses. She quickly looked down at herself. She seemed to be made entirely out of the shimmering. She looked like a billboard for Jusenkyo.  
  
Mousse said, "The orb allows a person to see what is normally hidden to the naked eye. You can increase or decrease the effect at will. For example." Waves of energy appeared in the air going through everything except Mousse. The bands of energy appeared to bend around him and vanish into nowhere leaving a distinct void around his body.  
  
"Pay attention closely," Mousse said reaching into the sleeve of his robe. Strings of energy suddenly surrounded his arm exploding into complex geometric patterns that rippled the air as a staff appeared.  
  
"Very impressive," Ranma(C) said. "But why are you showing."  
  
The web of energy in the room started collapsing. Each string was literally unraveling before her eyes. One of the strings going through her snapped sending pangs through her stomach.  
  
Suddenly, the collapse stopped. Mousse breathed heavily with beads of sweat running down his forehead. "Subspace is leaking into our reality, which should be impossible. It shouldn't be able to maintain existence in our dimension for more than a few seconds without someone actively accessing it."  
  
"Sounds serious," Shampoo said quietly.  
  
Mousse nodded. "My Master fears that if this problem grows the entire world will be in trouble. Subspace is connected to more than just our dimension and. but hopefully, we won't have to worry about that. This could simply be a natural phenomenon that could settle down soon."  
  
All the remaining strands of energy snapped at once. The room began to wobble and Ranma(C) felt like she was turning inside out. She felt herself being lifted off the ground and through bleary eyes she saw she was being pulled toward a giant hole in the middle of the room.  
  
"Famous last words," she muttered with her last conscious breath. 


End file.
